1983’s Scarface, directed by Brian De Palma, is one of those rare instances where a remake of a film was considerably better (Bet you didn’t know that Scarface was a 1932 film originally, right?). Universal’s attempts to remake the film again are proving to be quite a challenge though with a new Scarface going in and out of development, with multiple directors entering and then abandoning the project.
Most recently it was director Antoine Fuqua who was attached to direct with Diego Luna rumoured to star, with the planned story taking a more modern approach that would have touched on current sentiments around immigration in the USA. But Fuqua left and the development went into limbo… Until now as a new report from Variety has revealed that Call me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino has now been hired to direct the film with a script written by the Coen Brothers (with earlier drafts being produced by writers Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, Jonathan Herman and Paul Attanasio).
Guadagnino is certainly an interesting choice for the movie having so far built his career around strongly emotional dramas rather than tense action thrillers, though whether this is an indication of what type of film we will be getting is perhaps too early to tell. With a script now written by the Oscar-winning and critically-acclaimed Coen brothers though, almost anything can be expected for this film as the filmmakers have such a wide filmography. It may be safe to assume now that their script will serve as a firm deviation now from the previous two films given the people now involved behind the scenes.
Guadagnino does have experience with remakes, having recently directed Suspiria in 2018, which itself was inspired by a 1977 Italian film of the same name. That remake was able to capture some of the original horror of the first film, while still being its own story. No doubt an approach that Guadagnino will want to take with this movie.
Last Updated: May 15, 2020
