Hathaway Gets 'Smart' Role

[Brian Damage]

Anne Hathaway is in negotiations to take the female lead in the big screen version of "Get Smart."

Star Steve Carell has been attached to the Peter Segal-directed project for a long time and production is finally expected to begin in March.

According to Variety, Hathaway ("The Princess Diaries") is close to signing on to play Agent 99 opposite Carell's Maxwell Smart. The parts were played by Barbara Feldon and Don Adams in the original television series, which was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry.

The latest incarnation of the "Get Smart" script was written by "Failure to Launch" scribes Tom Astle and Matt Ember.

After appearing last winter in the Oscar-winning drama "Brokeback Mountain," Hathaway had a surprise smash this summer with "The Devil Wears Prada."

[ph1l]

If they can get the voices right, I think this pair could make it work.

[Carrie]

I think so too. :)

[Tweety]

I would guess that Hathaway could play 99's part...she can be funny, and I'm sure she can play 'straight-man' to Maxwell Smart as well...

But, there are some parts that can really only be played by the original...and I think that Maxwell Smart is one of those parts...

I don't even know who Steve Carell is, or what he does... but playing Maxwell Smart is an incredibly tall order.. Don Adams was perfect.

Heck, even Edward Platt, who played the Chief, has never been adequately replaced in any of the Get Smart movies/specials that have been made since the show ended...

Don Adams and Edward Platt were absolutely perfect in those parts...it's really hard to imagine someone else playing them...

Well, I just looked up Steve Carell... the only movie he's been in that I've seen is Bruce Almighty...but I don't remember his character "Evan Baxter"...

I see that he played Uncle Arthur in the Bewitched movie (which I haven't seen).... did he play it the same way Paul Lynde did?

Anyway, I'm not optimistic about this project working out...but I do hope it does... since Hollywood can't come out with any original stuff anymore, the least they could do is do a decent job remaking classic TV shows...which they haven't done so far...