Al Pacino joins Gotti: Three Generations

And my interest in Barry Levinson's Gotti: Three Generations just skyrocketed. Variety is reporting that Al Pacino has signed on to the indie mob drama, which will track the Gambino crime family over the course of years. John Travolta, Joe Pesci, Kelly Preston, Ella Bleu Travolta, and Lindsay Lohan are already slated to star.

Pesci will play well respected Gotti associate, Aniello "Mr. Neil" Dellacroce, also known as "Father Neil". A long standing member of the family, he rose to the job of underboss and prevented action against one-time boss Paul Castellano, a disputed choice to replace Carlo Gambino. 

Pacino and Levinson worked together just last year on the HBO film, You Don't Know Jack, for which Pacino won an Emmy.  Levinson also has brought in James Toback(Bugsy) to assist in re-writing the script.

So I guess I need to stop ignoring this film now, eh? I mean I'm still weary of anything with Travolta headlining, but the cast is simply too interesting to side step. This could either be awesome, or a spectacular, glitzy flop.

Gotti: Three Generations is expected to begin filming in the fall for a summer 2012 release.