Scarface is one of the landmark pieces of crime cinema from the 1980s. Most people don’t even know that Brian De Palma‘s gory classic is a remake of a 1932 gangster movie. That creates some precedence when it comes to remaking the story yet again. Well, it looks like that’s exactly what’s happening.
A new version of Scarface is currently on the way and Antoine Fuqua is in talks to sit in the director’s chair. Fuqua has become the go-to guy when it comes to crafting violent action for wide audiences. Training Day was an enormous breakout for the filmmaker, and he continued to establish his brand with flicks like Olympus Has Fallen and The Equalizer. He’s already got one remake in the can so it’s likely that the studio is very happy with his approach.
Scarface has always been a story about an immigrant who comes to the United States to fulfill his idea of the American dream. Naturally, that dreams includes lots of criminal activity. The original film featured an Italian immigrant in Chicago whereas the ’80s remake had a Cuban immigrant in Miami. The direction the new version will take could be very interesting. Would a Mexican immigrant be the most topical? Would Fuqua want to somehow integrate his usual leading man Denzel Washington?
The basic framework of Scarface is so vague that any story could be planted into it. Knowing that Fuqua has a penchant for telling uncompromising tales, Scarface has the potential to be as shocking as De Palma’s film. Will the inherent grit and grime of the story become more stylized for a modern audience? A big part of Scarface‘s effectiveness comes from how brutal and unforgiving the story can be, and if Fuqua wants to make a worthy remake, that’s something that can’t be ignored.
There’s no timetable for this remake but expect to hear some news after The Magnificent Seven releases.
