It was one of the most successful movies of the Eighties, a dark comedy that tells the story of a bitter divorce with neither party giving an inch.
But in the much anticipated remake of The War Of The Roses, the real battle appears to have been behind the scenes between Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman.
In The Roses, they take on the lead roles, played first time round by Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner.
Sources say that despite the actors being ‘very keen’ to work together, all was not well during filming, with Cumberbatch’s serious ‘method’ acting at odds with Ms Colman’s ‘no-nonsense, let’s get on with it’ attitude.
One insider told The Mail on Sunday: ‘The Roses was supposed to be a fairly easy and straightforward one to film – about a husband and a wife who don’t like one another.
‘But at times Benedict was treating it like it was some kind of Shakespearean play, wanting to seriously connect with his part, which is totally fair enough.
‘Olivia is very much the type to just get on with it, no faffing. It’s a comedy – it’s like there was a lot of overthinking going on.
‘It led to the chemistry between them not exactly being the best. It was a comedy, like a romcom, not the airy fairy-type stuff Benedict has done before.’
In the much anticipated remake of The War Of The Roses, the real battle appears to have been behind the scenes between Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman, pictured in the movie
Colman and Cumberbatch pictured in The Roses. Sources say that Cumberbatch’s serious ‘method’ acting was at odds with Ms Colman’s ‘no-nonsense, let’s get on with it’ attitude
In The Roses, they take on the lead roles, played first time round by Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, pictured
A spokesman for Cumberbatch attempted to play down the issues between the pair.
She said they were both keen to take part in The Roses, which will be out in cinemas next month, because they were friends who had never worked together before.
Following filming, which took place in both Salcombe, south Devon and Los Angeles, it is not known if they are still as close.
Oscar-winner Ms Colman, 51, is one of Britain’s most decorated actresses and has appeared in a wide range of productions from ITV drama Broadchurch to Netflix series The Crown, where she played the late Queen.
She won a best actress Oscar in 2019 for her role as Queen Anne in The Favourite.
Harrow-educated Cumberbatch, 49, who has been nominated for an Oscar twice, began his acting career with the New Shakespeare Company before going on to star in the West End and big-budget Hollywood films.
One industry source said: ‘You only have to spend a small amount of time in Olivia and Benedict’s company to realise that they are very different types of people.’ Ms Colman’s agent didn’t respond when asked if she wished to comment.
