We’ve known for a while now that Brian De Palma is putting together a prequel to one of his biggest hits – crime classic The Untouchables.
Story-wise, The Untouchables: Capone Rising would follow the young Al Capone’s steady rise to power, and his tense relationship with police nemesis Jimmy Malone. Capone in the 1987 film was played by Robert De Niro and Malone by Shir Shean (“They put one of yoursh in the hospital, you put one of theirsh in the morgue”) Connery.
But this being a prequel, De Palma naturally needs younger thesps (or that really creepy CG technique from the start of X3) to play the roles. So who does he want for Capone? Nic Cage, that’s who.
Cage is apparently deep in negotiations to play the role of the younger Capone, which, provided he signs, should give him ample opportunity to do interesting things with the part. Now all they really need is a shuit- sorry, suitable - replacement for Connery.
With a script scribbled by Brian Koppelman and David Levien and a $70 million budget burning a hole in his pocket, De Palma hopes to get shooting as soon as his cast is locked.
