Scarface reboot with script from Coen brothers lands new director: Luca Guadagnino

(Image credit: Universal)

Say hello to my little friend, again! Scarface is being rebooted for the second time, with Luca Guadagnino – the director of Call Me By Your Name and the Suspiria reboot – directing the movie for Universal.

If that doesn't have your inner cinephile already shaking at the knees with excitement, then perhaps the news that the script has been written by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen will. Yes, that's the Coen brothers who have written the latest script, following drafts by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, Jonathan Herman, and Paul Attanasio.

Scarface – originally called Scarface: The Shame of the Nation – was a notorious 1932 pre-code flick directed by Howard Hawks. The movie was a seminal gangster flick – alongside The Public Enemy and Little Caesar – and told the story of Italian immigrant Antonio "Tony" Camonte.

The movie was later rebooted by Brian De Palma in the '80s. The second version of Scarface, though initially criticised for its excessive violence, has become a classic, with Al Pacino's performance as Tony Montana heralded as one of cinema's best.

According to Variety, Guadagnino and the Coen brothers' version will reimagine the core immigrant story told in both movies and will be set in Los Angeles. No casting details have yet been confirmed.

It's been a long journey for the Scarface reboot. In 2011, Suicide Squad director David Ayer was attached to script the movie with David Yates – who has helmed every Harry Potter movie since Order of the Phoenix – due to direct. Three years later, Pablo Larraín (Jackie, Ema) was set to direct.

Come 2016 and Antoine Fuqua (The Equalizer, The Magnificent Seven) was reported to be directing the Scarface reboot, with Diego Luna set to portray the leading character. A release date of August 10, 2018 was set but filming never began. Fingers crossed, then, that Guadagnino's gets off the ground one day and starts filming.

The director currently has a packed slate; he's attached to a Lord of the Flies reboot and a potential sequel to Call Me By Your Name. Guadagnino is currently completing post-production on the HBO mini-series We Are Who We Are, which stars Chloë Sevigny and Kid Cudi.

Jack Shepherd is the former Senior Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar. Jack used to work at The Independent as a general culture writer before specializing in TV and film for the likes of GR+, Total Film, SFX, and others. You can now find Jack working as a freelance journalist and editor.