I can't recall exactly what the rumours were or where I got them. Possibly from this board which started in I think early 13. Have a read back of boards 1 and 2.
I think perhaps you mean 8 performances rather than a Beatles-esque 8 days a week! I hear what you say but going home to your own bed at night is hard to beat even if you are working late.
I think he would be great as Benedick. He never does comic roles but he has good timing and does the comic scenes in straight roles very well (as when interrupted while having sex with Sienna Miller in HR: "I thought we were doing this...?"). He's far too old for Leonard Bast, who was in his 20s and married to a much older woman IIRC. Anyway, I really think that sounds like a dud. Another case of why remake perfection?