Warner Bros. Discovery has announced that Oscar winning actor Robert De Niro has signed up to star in a period gangster film called Wise Guys.
This should be no surprise to anyone, as De Niro made a name for himself in the mobster genre and has appeared in crime-focused films like Goodfellas, The Godfather: Part II, The Irishman, and Casino. Barry Levinson, who directed the Oscar winning movie Rain Man, will direct Wise Guys.
Nicholas Pileggi wrote the script for Wise Guys. Pileggi previously wrote the 1985 book Wiseguy, which was adapted for 1990’s Goodfellas. Irwin Winkler, who produced Goodfellas, is a producer on Wise Guy.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Wise Guys focuses on two Italian-American crime bosses in the middle of the 20th century, Vito Genovese and Frank Costello. “In 1957, Genovese attempted to assassinate Costello but failed, although he was wounded and decided to retire, as much as one can retire from the Mafia,” reads a line from the film’s description.
Sources told THR that De Niro will play both characters.
It seems like it’s still early days for Wise Guys, as there is no word yet on a supporting cast or release date. Keep checking back with GameSpot for more.