Colin Firth, Oscar winner and national treasure, isn't doing that whole schmoozing-in-the-sunshine thing down at Cannes. Oh no, being a man with a Stakhanovite work ethic, he's beavering away on the Coen brothers-scripted caper Gambit. And here's proof: a first glimpse of Firth and his on-screen pardner, Cameron Diaz, in costume and on set.
To the untrained eye it looks like two actors standing next to each other, but just *feel *the subtext. Ahem. Anyways, along with the pic comes news that the film's experienced cast has just got 26% more impressive with the addition of the ever-brilliant Stanley Tucci and Oscar-winner Cloris Leachman. No news on who they'll play as yet, but both are adept at capturing the frothy comic tone Michael Hoffman's remake is pitching for.
The film's center is the Firth and Diaz dynamic, though. Gambit sees the pair hatch a scheme to dupe English's wealthiest man and avid art collector, Lionel Shabandar (Alan Rickman), into buying a fake Monet. Firth is art curator Harry Deane and Diaz a Texas rodeo queen drafted in to help build a convincing backstory for the painting.
Principal photography is now underway. The shoot will take the cast from London to New Mexico, presumably for those rodeo scenes. Expect it sometime in 2012.