Nicolas Cage (“Longlegs,” “Pig”) is set to star in upcoming crime epic “Gambino” from director John Woo (“The Killer,” “Silent Night”), reuniting the pair almost 30 years since cult action hit “Face/Off.”
Woo will direct from a script written by “Bad Boys” scribe George Gallo and Oscar-winning “Green Book” writer/producer Nick Vallelonga, with the package launching at the AFM with WME Independent handling sales.
The title follows Cage’s Carlo Gambino, a butcher’s son from Sicily, who ruled New York’s underworld with quiet authority. But when his death sends shockwaves through the city, Pulitzer-winning journalist Jimmy Breslin follows the trail he left behind to uncover the man beneath the legend. As the synopsis reads: “Through the voices of those who loved him and those who feared him, Breslin peels back the composure that masked Gambino’s ruthlessness, revealing how this outsider rose to redefine power, loyalty, and the American dream.”
Cassian Elwes (“Dead Man’s Wire”), Edward Zeng (“Following Harry”) of NextG Films, Robert Daly Jr., and David Lipper of Latigo Films (“Not Without Hope,” “The Neglected”) will produce, with NextG Films financing. Cage, Gallo, and Vallelonga will also produce.
“At NextG Film, our vision is to unite the finest creative talents of Hollywood with the bold entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley,” said Edward Zeng of NextG Film. “Together, we aim to deliver an epic cinematic experience that brings audiences back to the theater again and again—an experience that not only entertains, but inspires people to reflect on the world we live in today. Humanity stands at a crossroads. Through powerful storytelling and innovative artistry, we hope to remind everyone that the future is ours to shape, and it is our shared responsibility to make it better.”
News of “Gambino” will likely reignite excitement that Cage and Woo may soon embark on a sequel to “Face/Off,” the hit 1997 action thriller that pitted Cage’s terrorist-for-hire against John Travolta’s FBI agent. Paramount revealed in 1999 that it had plans to remake the movie with a new cast, but in 2021 it was reported that Adam Wingard would direct a film that would instead be a sequel to the first.
