There’s been a lot of drama surrounding Warner Bros. Discovery over the past few weeks, with the new CEO, David Zaslav, cutting jobs and costs, including shelving two films that were in post-production (“Batgirl” and “Scoob! Haunted Holiday”). But that doesn’t mean WBD is going to shy away from high-profile films in an attempt to continue to save money, as the studio has just given the green light to a big crime film with some major names attached.
According to THR, Barry Levinson has been brought in to direct a new crime film, “Wise Guys,” with none other than Robert De Niro attached to star… in two roles. The film is set to be written by crime writer Nicholas Pileggi (who wrote the source material that “Goodfellas” was based on) and follow the story of two mafia leaders in the mid-20th century, Vito Genovese and Frank Costello. “Wise Guys” will tell the story of when Genovese attempted to assassinate Costello but didn’t succeed. And believe it or not, the report claims that De Niro is set to play both roles.
Robert De Niro is a legendary actor who needs no real introduction, especially when it comes to mafia films. His most recent features include “The Irishman” and “Joker.” He’ll next be seen in Martin Scorsese’s upcoming thriller, “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
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Levinson is also a well-known figure in Hollywood and is the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind “Rain Man,” which won Best Picture, Best Director, and other Academy Awards after its release. He also helmed films such as “The Natural,” “Wag the Dog,” and “Good Morning, Vietnam.” Most recently, he directed the feature film, “The Survivor,” as well as multiple episodes of the acclaimed limited series, “Dopesick.”
It’s unclear when production on “Wise Guys” might begin.
