The moviemaker has been bringing a series of well-loved movies to the stage in Los Angeles in recent months for star-studded live readings of films including The Big Lebowski, The Breakfast Club and The Princess Bride.

He is now taking the shows to the Big Apple and will kick off the Live Read series in Manhattan on Friday (27Apr12) with a reading of 1960 classic The Apartment.

Stone and Rudd will take over the roles made famous by Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon, while the show will also feature James Woods, Lena Dunham and Jason Sudeikis.

The event will take place at The Times Center, and due to the overwhelming demand for tickets, the reading will also be broadcast on screens in the venue's main hall for those who couldn't get a seat in the theatre.