Matthew Broderick Trying" and was nominated for another Tony for his role in the Mel Brooks 2001 stage version of "The Producers". In the latter production, he played Leopold "Leo" Bloom, an accountant who co-produces a musical designed to fail, but which turns out to be successful. Broderick reprised the role in the 2005 film adaptation of the same name. Broderick was reunited with his co-star from "The Lion King" and "The Producers", Nathan Lane, in "The Odd Couple", which opened on Broadway in October 2005. He appeared on Broadway as a college professor in "The Philanthropist", running April 10 through June
Mel Brooks America's two funniest filmmakers." That year, Brooks produced the dramatic film "The Elephant Man" (directed by David Lynch). Knowing that anyone seeing a poster reading "Mel Brooks presents "The Elephant Man"" would expect a comedy, he set up the company Brooksfilms. Brooksfilms has since produced a number of non-comedy films, including David Cronenberg's "The Fly", "Frances", and "84 Charing Cross Road", starring Anthony Hopkins and Anne Bancroft, along with comedies, including Richard Benjamin's "My Favorite Year", which was partially based on Mel Brooks' real life. Brooks sought to purchase the rights to "84 Charing Cross Road" for his wife, Anne