‘Stepford’ out of Cusacks
Broderick, Midler take over after sibs ankle prod’n
By MICHAEL FLEMING, DAVE MCNARY
Variey
John and Joan Cusack have stepped out of Paramount’s remake of “The Stepford Wives” for family reasons. Matthew Broderick is negotiating to replace him; Bette Midler is set to replace her.
They join Nicole Kidman, Christopher Walken, Glenn Close, Roger Bart, Mike White and Faith Hill in the remake, which will be directed by Frank Oz from a script by Paul Rudnick, who transformed the original 1975 scary adaptation of Ira Levin’s novel into a darkly comic tale. Donald De Line and Scott Rudin are producing.
John Cusack had been set to play the husband of Kidman who becomes seduced by the idea of having a reprogrammed mate. Joan Cusack was set to play a friend who helps her put together the clues.
Sources close to the Cusacks said their exits were due solely to a need to attend to a personal matter they would not elaborate upon
