Fresh off the heels of Joe Carnahan announcing that he's finally secured funding on his long-gestating Pablo Escobar project, comes the news that yet another Escobar film is being prepped. Imaginatively titled Escobar – this film, to be directed by Antoine Fuqua, aspires to come out before Carnahan's Killing Pablo (based on Mard Bowden's bestseller), which despite having Javier Bardem & Christian Bale attached to star is not yet ready to roll due to Carnahan being tied up with production on White Jazz-starring George Clooney and based on the novel by James Ellroy.
Variety reports that Oliver Stone will produce with J2 Pictures partners Justin Berfield and Jason Felts, and James Reach. Scribe David McKenna who wrote the powdered white tale of Blow, will rewrite then project. Production is slated to begin the in first quarter of 2008 in south America and Escobar's homeland, and Jere Hausfater will handle international sales through Essential Entertainment. Pic will be introduced at the American Film Market.
I'd be willing to bet that only one of these dueling Escobar films will end up getting made – with the edge going to the Yari Film Group's project with Bob Yari, Mark Gordon and Jason Zelin producing – it already has two high profile actors attached to the project. But with the pressure on (Stone's Alexander beat out Baz's proposed film to the finish line) this could mean that Yari find themselves another director.
Carnahan's definitely the right guy to do an Escobar flick. Granted- Smoking Aces was a lackluster follow-up to Narc, but considering the amount of time he's put into developing this film, one can rest assured that he'll do Bowden's account justice. Also- Javier Bardem is inspired casting, and word has it that the film will be shot in Spanish (just like Medellin- the fictional Escobar film in Entourage).
Fuqua is a fine director, but all of his films have been pretty mediocre thus far, although I hesitate to put the blame squarely in his lap. King Arthur was not at all the right fit for his sensibilities, and the film got hacked to pieces in an effort to make it more kid- friendly. Fuqua should make another urban crime drama like Training Day, but this time go the indie route and not cop out in the last 20 min.
That said, a few years ago it would have seemed doubtful that we'd have two competing Truman Capote films, yet we recently had Capote from Bennett Miller, and Infamous by Douglas McGrath. Capote wrapped first, and opened to wide acclaim, and Oscars. Infamous came out a year later and vanished without a trace. Infamous was a perfectly good film, but after seeing Capote– audiences probably felt they had already had the required Capote experience.
May the best Pablo win!
