Madonna in Casablanca remake?

Madonna to produce Casablanca remake?

Depite a slew of film turkeys, pop queen Madonna is still determined to be a movie star – and now wants to star in and produce a remake of the old classic, Casablanca.

The 1942 original – widely regarded as one of the best films of all time - made a star of Ingrid Bergman as lead female Ilsa Lund, and Madonna reportedly wants to portray the character, even though Ingrid was in her 20s when she played it, and Madge is nearing 50.

A source at a major Hollywood studio said: ‘She is still determined to make it in the movies.

‘She and her representatives have been touting around a project which is a remake of Casablanca. The reception has been lukewarm to say the least. No one can understand why she wants to redo what many people consider the greatest film of all time.’

The story followed Bergman's Ilsa, who starred opposite Humphrey Bogart as cynical bar owner Rick Blaine, in the early days of the Second World War. Ilsa is torn between love for her husband, a Czech Resistance leader, and her ex-lover Rick.

Now, Madonna wants to remake the movie, but this time set in Iraq.

The source continued: ‘She wants to update the story and maybe set it in a modern war zone such as Iraq. There is no script yet.

‘Madonna and her people are testing the waters to see if this is the right vehicle for her and if a major studio will get behind the project.’

Madonna is said to believe the film – which features the famous line ‘Here’s looking at you, kid’ - will change people’s views on her as an actress after a string of flops, including Shanghai Surprise, Body of Evidence and Swept Away, her critically-panned film collaboration with husband Guy Ritchie.

Madonna’s spokesman has so far refused to comment.

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