Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston will star opposite Ride Along’s Kevin Hart in a US remake of the French smash-hit comedy The Intouchables.



According to the Hollywood Reporter, the pair have been picked by the Weinstein Company for the roles played by François Cluzet and Omar Sy in the original film. Released in 2011 and directed by Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano, The Intouchables told the story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy quadriplegic man and his caregiver. It was a massive homegrown hit, grossing $166m (£115.4m) and selling 19.4m tickets – and is the second highest-grossing homegrown film at the French box office (after Bienvenue Chez les Ch’tis). It was also a worldwide hit, grossing $426m globally.

However, unlike The Artist, which the Weinstein Co also acquired, The Intouchables’ relatively low profile in the US (where it took a modest $10.2m) means it is ripe for the remake treatment. The new production will be directed by My Week With Marilyn’s Simon Curtis from a script by Bridesmaids’ Paul Feig.

American comedian Kevin Hart.

Hart, meanwhile, is seeking to capitalise on his rising profile as an actor and live performer by setting up a streaming service called Laugh Out Loud, in partnership with Lionsgate. Laugh Out Loud will hold exclusive rights to show Hart’s non-film and live-show material – reports mention a hidden-camera series in which Hart is a driver in the ride-along sharing service Lyft – and will showcase material by other comics.

Hart, who has a substantial social media profile, including 27.5m followers on Twitter, has also closed a deal to develop a social media game, where players take part as aspiring comedians who are mentored by the star.