While the Magnificent Seven helmer was attached to take on Universal Pictures‘ upcoming Scarface remake, Variety reports that Antoine Fuqua has exited the project due to his commitment to Sony Pictures‘ upcoming The Equalizer sequel. A search is now underway for a helmer to board the project immediately as the studio is reportedly keen on getting the new Scarface into production in the very near future. What’s more, the trade reports that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story‘s Diego Luna is set to play the new film’s title gangster.
The first theatrical Scarface made it to theaters in 1932 from director Howard Hawks and told the story of an Irish immigrant’s rise to power as a gangster in 1920s Chicago. The film was famously remade in 1983 directed by Brian De Palma and written by Oliver Stone with Al Pacino in the lead role, shifting the focus to a Cuban refugee rising to power as a gangster in 1980s’ Miami.
Terence Winter (Boardwalk Empire) penned the most recent version of the new Scarface screenplay, which was previously written by David Ayer (Suicide Squad, Fury) and Jonathan Herman (Straight Outta Compton, Ghost in the Shell).
In addition to his work in the highly-successful Rogue One, Diego Luna was seen last year in Blood Father. He’s also part of the cast of the upcoming Flatliners reboot/sequel.
The Equalizer 2, meanwhile, is expected to enter production soon for a September 14, 2018 release. Denzel Washington will reprise his role as Robert McCall.
