Scarface Reboot Has Found Its New Tony Montana
The Scarface reboot is moving forward, and now we know who will play Tony Montana.
This article is more than 2 years old
Universal Pictures has been developing a Scarface reboot for nearly a decade now, but if a new rumor is to be believed, they might have found their lead.
Newsweek has reposted a tweet from @AllLoveHipHop which claims that Creed and Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan might be the star of this Scarface reboot. Although there has yet to be any evidence to back up this rumor, the choice would be a solid one.
If Jordan does sign up for the Scarface reboot, it’ll be just one of many high-profile projects the actor has in the works. His next role will be the lead in Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse, which is scheduled to be released on Prime Video sometime in 2021. Also next year, Jordan will be reprising his role of Black Panther’s Erik Killmonger in Disney+’s What If… series.
According to his IMDB page, Jordan already has a ton of announced projects coming up. He’s currently attached to the latest film by David O. Russell, whose last film was 2015’s Joy. Russell’s latest film will also supposedly feature Margot Robbie and Christian Bale. Jordan is also signed up to play the title character in Danny Boyle’s Methuselah, where Jordan will play the 1,000-year-old man.
Jordan is also onboard for Wrong Answer, where he will play a math teacher who changes his students’ test scores in order to get funding for his school. The film will be directed by frequent Jordan collaborator, Ryan Coogler, and written by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Finally, Jordan is naturally signed up to reprise his role as Adonis Creed in the Creed III.
Universal first announced a Scarface reboot in 2011, via Deadline. It will be the third film to hold the Scarface moniker. The first, a 1932 Howard Hawks-directed film, was loosely based on the 1929 Armitage Trail novel of the same name, which was inspired by Al Capone. Paul Muni played Antonio “Tony” Camonte, a rising gangster in Chicago. The 1983 Brian De Palma-directed film starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana, told the story of a Cuban refugee rising to power in 1980s Miami. This third Scarface story will apparently take place in Los Angeles, although the time frame has not been announced yet.
Suicide Squad’s David Ayer was originally lined up to direct the Scarface reboot, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, Ayer’s script was considered too dark and he left the project in 2017. Rogue One star Diego Luna was planned as the lead but seems to have lost the part when directors changed. In 2018, Deadline said that Antoine Fuqua, director of The Equalizer was involved in the project, but his involvement didn’t last very long.
However, in May of this year, Luca Guadagnino, who directed Call Me By Your Name and 2018’s Suspiria became the latest director assigned to the Scarface reboot. Guadagnino has been particularly busy lately. Soon after the release of Call Me By Your Name in 2017, he announced his intention to direct the sequel, based on Andre Aciman’s sequel novel, Find Me. Last year, via Variety, Guadagnino was said to be in talks to direct an adaptation of William Golding’s classic novel, Lord of the Flies. Guadagnino also directed all eight episodes of We Are Who We Are, which is currently airing on HBO.
Just as interesting as Guadagnino’s involvement is that Joel and Ethan Coen have been attached to the Scarface reboot project for three years. While the brothers used to only write scripts they would also direct, in the last decade, Joel and Ethan have lent their talents out to other films. In recent years, the Coens have written the 2012 film, Gambit, the Angelina Jolie-directed Unbroken, Steven Spielberg’s 2015 Best Picture Oscar nominee Bridge of Spies, and George Clooney’s 2017 film Suburbicon.
The Coens haven’t directed their own film since 2018’s The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, and for the first time, the brothers will be splitting up, with Joel Coen going solo, writing and directing his adaptation of Macbeth, scheduled for 2021, starring Denzel Washington, Brendan Gleeson, and Joel’s longtime collaborator and wife, Frances McDormand.
Jordan is a compelling choice for this role. With direction by Guadagnino and a script by the Coen brothers, this Scarface reboot might be the best one yet.
