If you asked just about any film fan, who could accurately be described as the godfather of writing and directing epic gangster movies, the odds are they would come back and say, none other than Martin Scorsese; whose work includes Goodfellas, Casino, and mob based movie The Departed); and that the most seminal actors in the genre would be Al Pacino (who was, after Marlon Brando, The Godfather), Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci (who both worked with Scorsese on both Goodfellas, Casino, and Raging Bull); so any hopes of the four working together on a gangster flick has, until now, sounded too good to be true.
But recent news suggests that the proposed dream team of Scorsese, Pacino, De Niro, and Pesci, could be lining up to produce a new period based gangster epic; titled The Irishman; which would be based on the exploits of the famed mob enforcer and hitman, Frank ‘The Irishman’ Sheeran (who has been linked with the disappearance of legendary mafia associate Jimmy Hoffa); which were chronicled in Charles Brandt’s book I Heard You Paint Houses.
Scorsese is already firmly attached to direct, and De Niro has signed on to appear as the titular Irish hitman, but as Martin hasn’t officially committed to a filming schedule (he’s currently deciding whether or not it should be his next film after completing work on Hugo Cabret), Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci are currently ‘circling’ the film, and are at present, only likely to appear, but not officially confirmed.
However, the prospect of a new mob movie from such massive players in the genre (they’d only need to throw in Goodfella’s Ray Liotta, and The Godfather’s Jimmy Caan, and it would look like The Expendables of the mob genre) is massive, and guaranteed to attract not only a lot of attention, but a great deal of funding.
It’s currently pencilled in for a 2011 release, although that appears to be far too hopeful at the minute; if the cast hasn’t be locked in, and the director hasn’t even fully committed to filming it right away; but is likely to undergo some changes before release; particularly in regards to the title, as there’s already a planned film focussing on ‘70s Ohio mobsters (due to feature Heat’s Val Kilmer, Rome’s Ray Stevenson, and Batman Returns’ Christopher Walken) with the same title.
Nevertheless this is an exciting time for crime fans, as the film’s being billed as an amalgamation of Heat, Casino, and Goodfellas, and with the U.S. premiere of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire (an epic period gangster series which Scorsese is producing, and has directed the pilot) only days away, there’s plenty to look forward to.
