Here’s an interesting piece of trivia. Way back in the day, Sylvester Stallone auditioned for the roles of Paulie Gatto and Carlo Rizzi in "The Godfather." He didn’t get either part, and four years after Francis Ford Coppola‘s masterpiece was released, Stallone would swing into stardom with "Rocky." But it’s funny how life works because four decades later, the actor is getting another shot at material from Mario Puzo.
Stallone has signed up to star in a TV event series adaptation of "Omerta," based on Puzo’s posthumously published book. Antoine Fuqua will direct the tale that centers on Don Raymonde Aprile (played by Stallone), who decides to go legit and retire, only to wind up getting whacked, leaving his adopted son to avenge his death. Here’s the book synopsis:
The pilot script is ready, the writers room is being assembled, and "Omerta" — which is being backed by The Weinstein Company — will soon to be out for networks to bite at. The book wasn’t well received when it was published, but the core concept is strong, and certainly, this is a chance to make it work. [Deadline]
