Oscar-nominated filmmakerLuca Guadagninois in talks to direct Universal Pictures' long-in-the-worksScarfacereboot,Varietyhas confirmed. Collider had previously heard that theCall Me by Your Namefilmmaker was circling the project, and it appears a deal has now formed.
The new film is a reimagined version of the immigrant story that was previously told in the 1932 and 1983 films, and is set in Los Angeles. The film has been in the works for years, withDavid Ayersigning on to write the script in 2011. Directors likeDavid YatesandAntoine Fuquaattached themselves and then departed over the years, and in 2017 Ayer signed on in the wake of helming the DC movieSuicide Squad. Ayer left the project the same year, reportedlybecause his script was “too dark"for Universal’s taste.
The latest version of the script was written byJoelandEthan Coenof all people, who have been writing screenplays they don’t intend to direct over the last few years likeUnbrokenforAngelina JolieandBridge of SpiesforSteven Spielberg.
Guadagnino is one of the best filmmakers working today, and has excelled at creating fully immersive films that really let the viewer into their world. After success with films likeI Am LoveandA Bigger Splash, he hit the Oscars fray with his masterful romanceCall Me by Your Name. He followed that up with his ambitious yet little-seen horror remakeSuspiria(seriously, watch it. It’s great!) and is currently in post-production on the HBO limited seriesWe Are Who We Are, and on the horizon is developing aLord of the Fliesremakeas well as aCall Me by Your Namesequel, although the latter may be a ways off.
Scarface is no doubt a priority for Universal, so expect this to be Guadagnino’s next project—assuming he breaks the curse and remains onboard to actually get this thing in front of cameras.
