I was totally unaware that Universal is planning another remake of their classic gangster flick Scarface, but apparently things are moving forward on it. Deadline reports the studio has hired Paul Attanasio to rewrite the screenplay originally drafted by Training Day writer David Ayer.
Attanasio's writing resume is filled with highs (Donnie Brasco, Disclosure) and lows (The Sum of All Fears, Sphere), so it's not obvious to us whether he's the right guy to tackle this remake. We'll reserve judgment until a trailer comes out, but that'll be a while since there isn't even a director attached yet.
The original Scarface was directed by Howard Hawks back in the 1930s and was considered untouchable until Brian De Palma came along and remade it with Al Pacino in the lead role in 1982. This may be heresy to a lot of people, but I find the Pacino version almost unwatchable and insanely overrated, so I'm actually looking forward to a new take on the story of an outsider who infiltrates the drug scene and becomes a mastermind. Though I must say, I don't know if anyone can make a more compelling modern version of this story than what Vince Gilligan has done with Breaking Bad.
What do you think about a Scarface remake? Are you on board?