Not So Nutty

Jerry Lewis’ serious turns in features are rare--notably Martin Scorsese’s “The King of Comedy” (1983)--but he’ll be taking on a “very dramatic” role when “The Arrowtooth Waltz” begins shooting in early March, producer Paul Gurian tells us.

Lewis will operate “the last great car dealership” in the film, which Gurian calls “ ‘The Last Picture Show’ with a surrealistic approach set in present-day small-town America at the end of the world. It deals with lots of issues of the American psyche.”

Serious discussions are underway for Nicolas Cage to join the cast, which also includes Lili Taylor and model Paulina Porizkova. Emir Kusturica (“Time of the Gypsies”) will direct from a script he wrote with David Atkins.

“It’s a real gem of a role for Jerry Lewis,” adds Gurian, “because he’s working for a major European director who wants him to act.”

Lewis, meanwhile, hasn’t abandoned comedy: He’s co-writing a sequel to “The Nutty Professor” (1963), though it’s currently without a production deal.