Horror director to make Marx Brother's biopic

Horror director Rob Zombie is to make a new biopic about Groucho Marx.

The filmmaker and musician – whose previous work includes House Of 1,000 Corpses, Werewolf Women Of The s and The Haunted World Of El Superbeasto – has signed up to the project, based on the memoir Raised Eyebrows.

It was written by Steve Stoliar, a young Marx Brothers fan who became Groucho's personal secretary in his later years. The 1996 book, subtitled My Years Inside Groucho's House, has been called 'painfully sad' as it depicts the great comedian's demise. But it also describes at the author's encounters with the likes of Zeppo, Gummo, Mae West, George Burns, Bob Hope, and Jack Lemmon.

Producer Miranda Bailey said: 'Steve's story detailing his experience with one of the most iconic comedians of our time was so poignantly crafted, and such a compelling read, that I immediately knew it was a project I wanted to be involved with.'

No actor has yet been cast as Groucho, but screenwriter Oren Moverman has been hired to work on the script.

Despite the director's unusual background, Mike Fleming Jr from Hollywood website Deadline says: 'I've seen how meticulous Zombie is in the preparation and design of these fright films, and he could well make the kind of transition that Saw helmer James Wan and others have made from genre to more mainstream fare.'

• Click here to buy the book the film was based on.

Published: 18 Jun 2015