While Rob Zombie is in post on 31, he continues to look beyond horror.
Deadline reports that Zombie and Miranda Bailey have acquired the rights to Steve Stoliar’s memoir “Raised Eyebrows: My Years Inside Groucho’s House.”
Love & Mercy co-writer Oren Moverman will write the screenplay and Zombie is attached to direct.
“The book tells the bizarre story of the last years in the life of Groucho Marx, told by a young Marx Brothers fan who spent those years as his personal secretary and archivist. In addition to getting to know his hero, the author found himself in the orbit of Groucho’s brothers Zeppo and Gummo, Mae West, George Burns, Bob Hope, Jack Lemmon, S.J. Perelman, Steve Allen, and scores of other luminaries of stage, screen, TV and literature. The downside of this dream-come-true was getting close to his idol as the curtain was coming down, and dealing with Erin Fleming – the mercurial woman in charge of Groucho’s personal and professional life.“
Zombie is separately writing to direct Broad Street Bullies, a film about the Philadelphia Flyers hockey teams that brawled their way to prominence. So while he would not be the obvious choice to make a touching film about the last days of iconic Groucho Marx based on his resume, turns out Zombie is a huge fan of the comic and is steeped in Marx Brothers lore.
“I have been a huge Groucho Marx fan ever since I was a child and have read countless book on the comic legend, but after reading the book Raised Eyebrows, a totally new perspective on Groucho’s life emerged,” said Zombie in the release. “I immediately saw this project as Groucho’s Sunset Boulevard and knew I had to bring it to the big screen. It is a sad, funny and very dark tale of a one of Hollywood’s greatest stars final years.”