British actor Hugh Grant is said to have been tipped to play Henry Higgins in Sir Cameron Mackintosh’s remake of the classic film ‘My Fair Lady’.

A source revealed that actress Emma Thompson, who has written the screenplay and is a pal of Grant, 49, fought for him to get the role with John Madden, the director.

“He can’t sing, but then neither could Rex,” the Telegraph quoted the source as referring to late actor Sir Rex Harrison, who had acted in the 1964 film.

The casting of Grant is likely to be regarded as a safe move within the industry.

“It is starting to sound a bit like the sort of film the BBC would make,” one producer said.

“They could have been a lot more daring,” the producer stated.

Patrick Garland, who directed Harrison on Broadway in ‘My Fair Lady’, says he has been “intrigued” by the Chichester Festival Theatre’s casting of Rupert Everett as Higgins in its production of Pygmalion – upon which the musical is based – this summer.

“I’ll be very interested to see how Everett interprets the part,” the director said.

“I’m sure Grant will be fine in the film, but it will take a very big character indeed to banish Rex’s ghost,” he added.