Leo, Max and Who's That New Hotsy-Totsy Nazi?

By Rebecca Winters

Mel Brooks had a couple of guys in mind for the lead roles in The Producers: The Movie Musical, which is based on the Broadway musical, which was based on the 1968 movie, all of which Brooks created. "It's very important for the world to see The Producers in its glory, with MATTHEW [BRODERICK, left] and NATHAN [LANE, right]," who played Leo Bloom and Max Bialystock on Broadway, says the comic. But when it came time to cast escaped Nazi playwright Franz Liebkind in the new film, "I thought, Who's manic?" says Brooks. Enter WILL FERRELL, center. "There was something dangerous and mad in his eyes," Brooks explains. If it works, Ferrell may join the gang for Brooks' next version of The Producers. "What do you think we should do?" Brooks asks. "Claymation?"