Editorials > McGregor to Play Love Interest Opposite Carrey

Ewan McGregor will play the title role in I Love You Phillip Morris, a fact-based dark comedy starring Jim Carrey, directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (writers of Bad Santa). Carrey signed up earlier in the fall to play Steven Russell, a conman/family man who met the love of his life in his Texas jail cell. According to Variety,

His love for [cellmate Phillip] Morris motivated his escape from prisons four times, once by using a green pen and bucket of water to change his prison outfit into what appeared to be surgical scrubs, another time by faking his death from AIDS and signing his own death certificate. Morris eventually got out, but Russell's escapades got him a 144-year sentence.

The script was based on the nonfiction book by Houston Chronicle reporter Steve McVicker. Andrew Lazar and Far Shariat are producing. Luc Besson is an executive producer through his EuropaCorp production company which is fully financing the picture. 

-David Morgan