Stooges film chases trio of knuckleheads: Penn, Carrey and Del Toro

The Farrelly brothers are near to signing a trio of A-list actors as the cast of The Three Stooges.

And what an unlikely crew it is: Sean Penn will play Larry, Jim Carrey could be Curly and Benicio Del Toro is being sought to play Moe.

Peter and Bobby Farrelly, creators of There's Something About Mary and Dumb and Dumber, have signed Penn and are in talks with Carrey and Del Toro.

Carrey, who will need to recreate the physical comedy of Curly, is reported to be ready to shave his head and gain 40 pounds to play the comedian. Curly died before the height of the Stooges' success, suffering a stroke in 1946.

Penn, who won an Oscar for playing Harvey Milk, is to play Larry, a wire-haired wisecracker who plays a Stradivarius. Del Toro, who the directors are still pursuing, would be the gruff head-rapper Moe.

The Three Stooges began as a vaudeville act and became famous with their series of short comedy films for Columbia Pictures in the 1930s and '40s.

Their slapstick humour became beloved by the television generation after the shorts were broadcast, usually in time slots aimed at children, in the 1960s.

The Stooges also made several films, including Have Rocket, Will Travel and The Three Stooges Meet Hercules.

The Farrelly brothers have been trying to create a Three Stooges movie for more than 10 years and finally found a producer in MGM. They have written the script and will direct.

Production is expected to begin in early fall, according to Variety, with release in 2010.