Lately there have been more Pablo Escobar projects than bags of coke stashed in the drug lord's couch. We recently had Benicio Del Toro in the offbeat Escobar: Paradise Lost, while Brad Furman, Joe Carnahan, and Antoine Fuqua have attempted Escobar films that either fell through or are stuck in neutral. The interesting thing is that Javier Bardem has been eyed for nearly all of them without anything ever coming of it. Now he's finally getting his shot to play the infamous drug lord.
Bardem and his lovely wife Penelope Cruz will star in Escobar, directed by Fernando Leon de Aranoa (his film A Perfect Day is at Cannes now) based on the Spanish-language memoir by Escobar's lover, Virginia Vallejo. The book not only chronicles his rise to power, but also Vallejo's romantic relationship with the notorious kingpin. Presumably Bardem will play Escobar with Cruz as Vallejo.
Production begins later this year, which should give Bardem time to wrap up the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean film. [THR]
