The Three Stooges (promoted as The Three Stooges: The Movie) is a 2012 American slapstick comedy film based on the 1934–59 film shorts starring the comedy trio of the same name. It was produced, written and directed by the Farrelly brothers and co-written by Mike Cerrone. It stars Chris Diamantopoulos, Sean Hayes, and Will Sasso, re-creating the eponymous characters played by Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard. The story places the Stooges in a 21st century setting. After over a decade of setbacks stemming from casting issues, principal photography took place from May to July 2011. The film was released on April 13, 2012, by 20th Century Fox to mixed reviews.