Michelle Pfeiffer in Talks for Luc Besson Crime Thriller MALAVITA with Robert De Niro
It looks like Michelle Pfeiffer (Scarface) might be joining Robert De Niro (Goodfellas) in returning to their mafia roots in Luc Besson’s crime comedy, Malavita. Based on Tonino Benacquista’s novel, “Badfellas”, Malavita follows a mafia family who seeks witness protection in France. The problem is that they brought their criminal habits with them and start to deal with things in the old-fashioned way. De Niro is set to star as the head of the family, who was also head of the local crime family until he turned rat. Pfeiffer is in talks to star as his wife, who has a soft spot for using arson against those who cross her. Besson, who wrote the script and will also produce, is eyeing a production start this August. Hit the jump for more on Malavita.
Variety reports that Pfeiffer is in talks to re-team with De Niro in Malavita. The two previously starred together in Matthew Vaughn’s Stardust and Garry Marshall’s New Year’s Eve. A mafia-based comedy should be a cakewalk for De Niro, who sports the more dramatic films such as Goodfellas, The Godfather: Part II and Casino, as well as comedic turns in Analyze This and Analyze That. Pfeiffer is no stranger to the genres herself, boasting a memorable role in Scarface, but also starring in the 1988 comedy, Married to the Mob. I wonder how De Niro’s Backdraft character is going to feel about her apparent penchant for arson.
Check out the description of Benacquista’s source novel here (via Amazon):
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Under cover of darkness, an American family moves into a villa in Cholong-sur-Avre in Normandy. Fred Blake, the father, tells everyone he is there to write a history of the Allied landings. His wife Maggie gets involved in a local charity; their teenage children enrol in the lycee. At first glance a family like any other. But Fred’s real name is Giovanni Manzoni – an ex-Mafia boss who has grassed and is now part of the FBI’s witness-protection program. And his record in other locations would indicate that his cover is not likely to last very long.
Tommy Lee Jones Joins Roberto De Niro in Luc Besson’s MALAVITA
Director Luc Besson is lining up an impressive cast for his darkly comedic actioner Malavita. The film follows a mafia family who seeks witness protection in France, but they bring their criminal habits with them and start dealing with things the old fashioned way. Robert De Niro is set as the patriarch, with Michelle Pfeiffer recently joining the project as his wife. Now Variety reports that Tommy Lee Jones is in final negotiations to play De Niro’s “stern handler in the FBI-sponsored program.” He’s tasked with checking in on the family and helping them assimilate to their new life in France.
The tone seems reminiscent of something along the lines of Analyze This, but with Besson on board I’m sure we’ll see our fair share of gunplay and grittiness. The notoriously prickly Jones appears to be a left-field choice for the role, but I’m more than willing to see him and De Niro square off. Hopefully we see the two take part in a super-serious-face off so we can settle this whole “who’s more super serious?” thing once and for all. Jones will be seen later this year in the dramedy Hope Springs and Steven Spielberg‘s Lincoln, and he’s poised to write, direct, and star in The Homesman.
Principal photography has commenced on director Luc Besson’s (The Fifth Element) comedic actioner Malavita. The film stars Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Tommy Lee Jones and centers on notorious mafia family who gets relocated to Normandy as part of the witness protection program. Though they’re seemingly out of harm’s way, the family finds it hard to let go of some of their more colorful old habits and soon find themselves “handling things the ‘family’ way.” The ensemble cast also includes Glee star Dianna Agron and Wanderlust’s John D’Leo.
Filming is underway in Normandy, with additionally shooting set to take place in New York. A firm release date has yet to be set, but Malavita is expected to bow sometime in 2013. Hit the jump to read the full press release.
Here’s the press release:
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Principal Photography Begins on Luc Besson’s Malavita
De Niro, Pfeiffer, Jones, Agron and D’Leo to Star in EuropaCorp and Relativity’s Comedic Actioner
(Beverly Hills, Calif.) August 8, 2012 –Principal photography begins today on EuropaCorp and Relativity’s comedic actioner Malavita directed by Luc Besson (Taken, Transporter) and starring Oscar®-Winner Robert De Niro (Limitless, Heat), Oscar®-Nominee Michelle Pfeiffer (Dark Shadows, People Like Us), Oscar®-Winner Tommy Lee Jones (No Country For Old Men, Men in Black), Dianna Agron (Glee, I Am Number Four) and John D’Leo (The Wrestler, Wanderlust).
Collaborating with Besson behind the scenes is a creative below-the-line team including: director of photography Thierry Arbogast (The Fifth Element), production designer Hugues Tissandier (Taken), sound editor Ken Yasumoto (The Transporter), costume designer Olivier Bériot (Taken) and editor Julien Rey (The Lady).
The darkly comedic action film Malavita is the story of the Manzonis, a notorious mafia family who gets relocated to Normandy, France under the witness protection program. While they do their best to fit in, old habits die hard and they soon find themselves handling things the “family” way.
Filming commenced in Normandy and will continue in France at La Cité du Cinéma, where the brand new Studios de Paris are located. Additional shooting will take place in New York. The film will bow in 2013 with Relativity handling US distribution as well as working with its foreign output partners on the film’s release in the UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Spain, Greece, Thailand and CIS. EuropaCorp will take on distribution in France and handle international sales.
The script is adapted by Besson from the book Badfellas by author Tonino Benacquista. Virginie Besson-Silla (From Paris with Love) from EuropaCorp is producing. Relativity’s Ryan Kavanaugh (The Fighter) is producing, while the studio’s Tucker Tooley (Immortals) will executive produce.
Looking ahead, Relativity will release the edge-of-your seat thriller House at the End of the Street (in theatres September 21, 2012), the outrageous Movie 43 (in theatres January 25, 2013) and comedy 21 and Over (in theatres March 15, 2013). Relativity is currently in post-production on Scott Cooper’s gritty dramatic thriller currently-titled Out of the Furnace and is in production on the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ best-selling Safe Haven (in theatres February 8, 2013) and the corporate espionage thriller Paranoia (in theatres September 27, 2013).
EuropaCorp is currently in production on Taken 2 which it will distribute in France and with its partners in Germany, Scandinavia and Russia. Fox will handle the distribution of the film in the US and throughout its international distribution organization. The company is also in production on Mobius directed by Éric Rochant and starring Oscar®-Winner Jean DuJardin, Cécile De France and Tim Roth.
Well of course it has now been renamed THE FAMILY here domestically because I guess Americans apparently love movies that sound as generic as possible.
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Hope we get a trailer soon. Luc Besson needs to stop being involved with these 90 minute direct to video quality productions and get back to epic things like the Big Blue and Leon and the Messenger and The fifth element .
Full Cast: Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianna Agron, Ricardo Cordero, John D'Leo, Dominic Chianese, Vincent Pastore
‘The Family’ Trailer: Luc Besson and the Mobsters Who Couldn’t Change
Luc Besson‘s The Family (once called Malativa) seems like a fun amalgamation of well-known film ideas, as Robert de Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer play the two heads of a former mob family that has gone into witness protection in France. Despite the helpful guidance of Tommy Lee Jones, things don’t go so well, thanks to a comically toxic combination of elements: the family’s inability to change, and the attentions of a clean-up crew that wants to silence them.
The trailer is below, and you’ll see some Coppola, Demme, and Scorsese in this footage. (It even opens with a Rolling Stones song — maybe the best Stones song, actually — but Scorsese did serve as a consultant and exec producer who worked on the edit.) There’s also a good bit of Besson’s trademark energy, and along with the cast looking engaged that makes the whole thing worth a look.
The Family arrives on September 20th. Here’s the poster and synopsis; Yahoo provides all the materials.
A mafia boss and his family are relocated to a sleepy town in France under the witness protection program after snitching on the mob. Despite the best efforts of Agent Stansfield to keep them in line, Fred Manzoni, his wife Maggie and their children Belle and Warren can’t help but revert to old habits and blow their cover by handling their problems the “family” way, enabling their former mafia cronies to track them down.
I think it looks great, but I hate that the name change makes the film sound so generic. I'm sure that change came out of the test screenings.
Not saying I think it should have gotten changed, but it wouldn't surprise me if 9 out of every 10 people from the test screenings pronounced the original title wrong.
I actually don't mind the new title though. The tagline they created for the movie makes it work well enough.
Anyways, I just watched the trailer and this looks like it could be pretty good. I'd be very surprised if it didn't end up being just that.
Michelle Pfeiffer and Dianna Agron as mother and daughter - this film is already amazing. Finally looks like Dianna is getting some recognition, she looks like she kicks some serious ass in this film.
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'The Family'- Robert DeNiro
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