'No' Director Pablo Larrain Says Hello to 'Scarface' Remake

For Universal's long-developing Scarface remake, the studio was clearly looking to aim big, deserving of one of the most iconic crime stories Hollywood has ever told. At one point it looked like David Yates, director of much of the Harry Potter franchise, would take the project on himself. But that never worked out, and now production seems to be headed in a different direction with Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larrain coming aboard to bring Tony Montana's tale to life.

Larrain is best known for his "Pinochet Trilogy", a trio of political films culminating in last year's brilliant No starring Gael Garcia Bernal. They were pretty small in budget and certainly didn't make Larrain a household name, and producers are also "open to casting a complete unknown" in the title role. That would presumably mean a much smaller scope for screenwriter Paul Attanasio (Donnie Brasco) to work with.

The plan is to present a new version of Scarface's bloody climb up the criminal ladder, set in modern-day Los Angeles and following a Mexcian lead character named Tony, but having a different last name. Howard Hawks directed the first film in 1932, followed by Brian De Palma's take on the material in 1983 with Al Pacino in a defining role.

Hiring Larrain was an unexpected move but an inspired one, and now I'm far more interested in seeing how this remake goes than before. [TheWrap]