Universal’s reimagining of the classic gangster pic “Scarface” looks to have hit small bump in the road, as sources tell Variety that director Antoine Fuqua has departed the project.
Insiders say Sony and Denzel Washington want a sequel to “The Equalizer” very quickly and need Fuqua back to being prepping the film, which caused conflicted with the “Scarface”schedule. Universal still wants the film up and running by the spring, and has already begun meeting with directors so production won’t be affected.
Sources have also told Variety that Diego Luna, star of “Rogue One”, is attached to star.
Sources say Fuqua very much wanted to do the film, and that he and his team were still trying to figure out a way to make it work even as Uni was meeting with other directors. But ultimately, Fuqua had already spent so much time developing the script for the next “Equalizer” that he simply couldn’t move on from a project he had so much invested in.
The film will be a Bluegrass Films and Global Produce production, and will be produced by Marc Shmuger, Scott Stuber, and Dylan Clark. Marty Bregman, producer of the 1983 “Scarface” film, will also produce.
“Boardwalk Empire” creator Terence Winter penned the most recent draft.
The pic is a reimagining of the core immigrant story told in both the 1932 and 1983 films. The new film will be set in Los Angeles and will focus on a Mexican immigrant.
Exec VP of production Jon Mone and VP of production Jay Polidoro will oversee the project for Universal.
Fuqua is repped by CAA.
Source: Variety
