Robert De Niro is part of a creative ‘dream team’ for Wiseguys, that also includes Barry Levinson and Nicholas Pileggi.
Warner Bros has secured an exciting creative team for the planned mob drama, Wiseguys. Barry Levinson will direct, Nicholas Pileggi is on scripting duties and none other than Robert De Niro will be pulling a double shift to play two headlining roles in the film.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Wise Guys’ plot will focus ‘on Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, two Italian-American crime bosses that ran their respective families in the middle of the 20th century. In 1957, Genovese conducted a failed assassination attempt on Costello, wounding him and forcing the mafia boss into early retirement.’
Interestingly, De Niro is set to play both crime bosses.
The actor is of course a legend in the industry but especially in mob drama movies, having starred in many of the genre’s finest examples, including The Godfather Part II, Casino, The Irishman, The Untouchables and Goodfellas. The latter was of course written by Nicholas Pileggi, who also penned Wiseguy, the autobiographical book upon which the film was based.
The duo will be joined by Barry Levinson who is set to direct the film. Levinson helmed an incredible string of films during an enviable run throughout the 80s and 90s. Diner, Good Morning Vietnam, Rain Man, Disclosure and Sleepers number just some of the director’s projects throughout that era, which also includes Wag The Dog, a collaboration with De Niro. Levinson has continued to stay busy in the last couple of decades and we’re keen to see what he and his collaborators can pull off here. Whilst the stunt casting of De Niro playing two roles may raise an eyebrow or two, the combination of such a gilded team will mean that this project will maintain a high profile as it moves into production.
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