Scorsese to exec produce Luc Besson’s ‘Malavita’

Scorsese to exec produce Luc Besson’s ‘Malavita’

Scorsese to exec produce Luc Besson’s ‘Malavita’

Helmers collaborate on actioner starring De Niro, Pfeiffer

By ELSA KESLASSY, JOHN HOPEWELL

Martin Scorsese and Luc Besson are collaborating on “Malavita,” from EuropaCorp and Relativity, starring Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer and Tommy Lee Jones. Besson helms the actioner.

Scorsese, who has been a creative consultant to the pic in pre-production and during lensing, is now joining the picture as executive producer and will work with Besson throughout post-production and editing.

Peppered with black comedy, “Malavita” was adapted by Besson and Michael Caleo from Tonino Benacquista’s novel “Badfellas.”

It stars De Niro as a retired mob boss who moves to a small town in France’s Normandy with his wife (Pfeiffer) and teenage daughter (Dianna Agron), as part of the witness protection program, but he gets caught up in old habits.

John D’Leo, Dominic Chianese and Domenick Lombardozzi also star.

The involvement of Scorsese, whose organized crime classics “Goodfellas” and “Casino” starred De Niro, promises to give “Malavita” a label of authenticity in its depiction of the Italian-American mob world.

Pic is Besson’s directorial comeback to the action-thriller genre. The French helmer broke on to the international scene in the 1990s with dark-edged thrillers such as Jean-Reno starrer “The Professional” and “Nikita” with Anne Parillaud.

“Malavita” is produced by EuropaCorp’s Virginie Besson-Silla (“From Paris With Love”) and Relativity’s Ryan Kavanaugh. The studio’s Tucker Tooley will executive produce along with Scorsese, who was represented by WME in his deal.

Relativity Media will release the pic in the U.S. on Oct. 18, EuropaCorp will distribute it in France on Oct. 23.

“Malavita” is the first film under three-picture pact Relativity and EuropaCorp inked in May. It will be followed by Kevin Costner starrer “Three Days to Kill,” which is now shooting in Paris and at Besson’s studio complex La Cite du Cinema.

source: Variety.com


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