Upcoming Marlon Brando biopic gets its first look and fans cannot get over how uncanny Billy Zane looks: "I honestly thought this was Brando"

Billy Zane as Marlon Brando in Waltzing with Brando
(Image credit: Torino Film Festival)

The upcoming Marlon Brando biopic titled Waltzing with Brando has released its first official look as star Billy Zane as Brando, and fans cannot get over how much he looks like the legendary star.

The first look released by the Torino Film Festival, which you can see above, shows Zane as Brando’s The Godfather character Vito Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 hit. The Titanic star is posed exactly how we see Brando in the unforgettable The Godfather opening scene where we first see Corleone and just how fearsome he can be. Torino Film Festival has shared more images including one of Zane as Brando as he looked in the 1972 erotic romance movie Last Tango in Paris. Check out the look below. 

Billy Zane as Marlon Brando in Waltzing with Brando

(Image credit: Torino Film Festival)

But, aside from the accuracy of the pose and picture, fans just cannot get over how much Zane looks like the late Brando. "You could've said this was a photo of Marlon Brando and I would’ve believed it," said one Twitter user, another echoed, "I honestly thought this was Brando." However, other fans say that Zane has always resembled Brando, as one put, "He always had that Brando vibe," and another replied, "This might be the greatest casting of all time."

Waltzing with Brando focuses on Brando during the '70s when he was constructing his new home in Tahiti, around the time he was shooting Last Tango in Paris and The Godfather. The film is based on Bernard Judge's 2011 book of the same name, which tells the story of Brando’s architect who lived on an unpopulated atoll in the South Pacific with the star for quite some time.

The new film is directed and co-written by Bill Fishman who also serves as co-producer alongside Zane. The movie also stars Tia Carrere, Richard Dreyfuss, Jon Heder, Alaina Huffman, Rob Corddry, and more.

Waltzing with Brando is set to premiere at the Torino Film Festival sometime in November 22-30. A wider release date is yet to be announced. For more, see our list of upcoming movies and movie release dates to add to your diary.

Editorial Associate, GamesRadar+

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for SFX and Total Film online. I have a Bachelors Degree in Media Production and Journalism and a Masters in Fashion Journalism from UAL. In the past I have written for local UK and US newspaper outlets such as the Portland Tribune and York Mix and worked in communications, before focusing on film and entertainment writing. I am a HUGE horror fan and in 2022 I created my very own single issue feminist horror magazine.  

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