Russell Brand, Jennifer Garner to film 'Arthur' on LI

Scenes for the remake of the 1981 comedy “Arthur” will be filmed at Old Westbury Gardens. The tentative shooting dates are July 22 and 23.

The new “Arthur,” directed by Jason Winer, stars Russell Brand, Jennifer Garner, Helen Mirren and Nick Nolte. Liza Minnelli and Dudley Moore starred in the original, a tale of a fall-down-drunk millionaire playboy on the brink of an arranged marriage to an heiress.

“The irony is that the original was shot here, too,” says Vincent Kish, communications director for Old Westbury Gardens.

The historic house and/or its gardens have appeared in more than 20 major films over the years. Among the best known are Alfred Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest” (1959) starring Cary Grant, “Love Story” (1970) with Ryan O’Neal and Ali MacGraw and, most recently, “American Gangster” (2007) starring Denzel Washington.

The wedding scene from “Hitch” (2005), featuring Will Smith and Long Island’s Kevin James, was also shot at Old Westbury Gardens.

“Arthur” is expected to be released in 2011.

Old Westbury Gardens, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is the former home of John S. Phipps, his wife, Margarita Grace Phipps and their four children. Completed in 1906, the Charles II-style mansion anchors 200 acres of formal gardens, landscaped grounds, woodlands, ponds and lakes. Westbury House is furnished with English antiques and decorative arts.