The genre condom stays on for Hugh Grant & Sarah Jessica Parker

By Matt Holmes / June 25, 2011

Hugh Grant who after two decades in the industry, has still not tested himself outside of the rom-com genre. Except EXTREME MEASURES... do you remember that pretty dire thriller with Gene Hackman? Maybe that's why he has shunned all the serious offers that come his way. Still we say take off that condom that is restricting our pleasure of seeing your work. Go unprotected... live a little... you must be comfortable enough with your acting by now to try something different. I promise you won't get a disease I would love to see him in a thriller. I wish we still had directors like Alfred Hitchcock around who could write just such a slimy villainous role for him in a big budget thriller. Variety report today that Hugh Grant is teaming for the third time in six years, and the second time in quick succession with writer/director Marc Lawrence (MUSIC & LYRICS, TWO WEEKS NOTICE) for an untitled romantic comedy at Columbia Pictures. Sarah Jessica Parker, predictably, will co-star.

Thesps would star as an estranged high-powered New York couple who witness a murder and are placed in a witness-protection program in a small Wyoming town.

The film previously went by the title of BUFFALO FAITH but after it was dropped by Castle Rock Entertainment (which had HAMLET 2 director Andrew Fleming to helm from Lawrence's script)... Sony wanted a new title and for Lawrence to direct. A March start date is expected. Grant recently left LOST FOR WORDS, a Chinese set rom-com which actually sounded like one of the more interesting films in this genre he had done for a while. This, I can't say the same for.