Russell Brand is yet to headline a real hit film at the box-office and Hollywood is beginning to question him. While Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek did solid business, Arthur - a production that was sold on his name - bombed. That hadn’t stopped Larry David offering him a lead role in his film.

The Curb Your Enthusiasm creator and star will direct Pierre Pierre, a film that initially had Jim Carrey and Jason Reitman attached in the star/director roles. According to Variety, it will centre on "an obnoxious French nihilist who transports a stolen painting from Paris to London. Along the way he crosses paths with a French police inspector, a serial killer named Pigeonshit and his own brothel-owning mother.”

Sounds mental. But Larry Charlies is involved so it’s good mental no matter what. Brand will next be seen in Oscar winning screenwriter of Juno, Diablo Cody’s untitled directorial debut.