After starring in kids movie Hop, it was revealed last year that comedian Russell Brand had been down to star in a big screen production of the old British BBC kids' series Rentaghost. Running from 1976 to 1984, Rentaghost was basically about a temp agency that rented out all kinds of ghastly ghouls to the public to perform a whole range of tasks. Now, according to Deadline, Brand for whatever reason, has dropped out of the role and is no longer attached. Neither are original distributors Warner Bros.
Snapped up instead by 20th Century Fox, Brand has been replaced by comedy veteran Ben Stiller. A big hit with the family friendly movies, Stiller will take the lead role while Tom Lennon and Robert Ben Garant who've already worked with Stiller on Night at the Museum, are set to work on the script. As it stands, no directors' names have been thrown into the mix.
As Deadline report, the Night at the Museum writers' script will see Stiller take the laed as 'an American turnaround consultant who is sent to the UK to reinvigorate a failing company.'
If you fancy a bit of Ben Stiller in the meantime, you can catch him next starring alongside Eddie Murphy in Brett Ratner's comedy Tower Heist, in cinemas on November 2nd. (New release date as of today). Watch the trailer here.
Stiller is due to receive BAFTA's Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy at the 2011 Britannia Awards on November 30 which is testament to the fact that he is perhaps one of the best in the business when it comes to A class comedy movies.
