 In May 1966 it was announced film rights to the play were now owned by the team of Eliot Kastner and Jerry Gershwin, who had just made "Harper" and "Kaleidescope" for Warner Bros.They signed a deal with Peter Sellers to star in the film, and possibly direct it.In August 1966 it was announced Sellers' then-wife, Britt Ekland, would make the film under the first of a five-film contract with Gershwin.