Modern Family Director Set to Helm Russell Brand in ARTHUR Remake

Russell Brand has been attached to reprise the Dudley Moore role in the Warner Bros' remake of Arthur since 2008. There hasn't been much movement on the project for quite a while, but the studio has finally found a director, bringing in Jason Winer to helm Arthur.

As an actor, you may recognize Winer from Van Wilder, but he's since branched out as a producer and director for ABC's brilliant family mockumentary Modern Family, and took home a DGA Award for his work on the Pilot Episode.

Peter Baynham (Brüno, Borat) scripted the remake of the original 1981 comedy, starred Moore as a boozy playboy who is set to inherit a fortune if he marries an heiress his family thinks will make something out of him. However, he falls in love with a working-class woman and turns to his valet, played by John Gielgud, for help when his family makes him choose between money and love.

Modern Family is one of my favorite new comedies, so with Winer on board, this sounds like a much more promising movie. But I doubt this will get the Oscar accolades that the original got -- Moore and writer-director Steve Gordon earned Oscar nominations, while Gielgud won the Oscar for best supporting actor. That valet role has yet to be cast.

Larry Brezner, Kevin McCormick and Chris Bender will produce, while Scott Kroopf, J.C. Spink, Brand and Nik Linnen will serve as executive producers.