Such an obviously lame idea deserves that terribly puny title.
Screenwriter David Ayer — the man behind such films as U-571 and Training Day – has been assigned the task of reworking the concept of Scarface for a contemporary audience by Universal Pictures. It will most likely follow a gutsy gangster on his climb to the top, only to see him fall victim to his own self-indulgence. He may also yell catchphrases.
“I sought it out; I went after it hard. I see it as the story of the American dream, with a character whose moral compass points in a different direction. That puts it right in my wheelhouse,” Ayer tells Deadline. “I studied both the original Ben Hecht-Howard Hawks movie and the De Palma-Pacino version and found some universal themes. I’m still under the hood figuring out the wiring that will translate, but … there are enough opportunities in the real world today that provide an opportunity to do this right. If it was just an attempt to remake the 1983 film, that would never work.”
As stated above, this won’t be the first time someone has retold this particular story. Brian De Palma’s 1983 film was already a re-envisioning of Howard Hawks’ 1932 film of the same name. So we’re not exactly broaching new lows with another version. In reality, someone over at Universal wants a new “gangster franchise” and they’re using the Scarface name to sell it. For all we know, David Ayers could write an excellent gangster drama that doesn’t involve Al Pacino screams or a bedroom floor jacuzzi. Although one can hope that the latter actually happens. Time will tell.
For now, at least we can rest easy knowing that college kids and rappers 30 years from now will have a new poster to put on their bedrooms room walls.