Antoine Fuqua has been assigned to direct "Escobar", a biopic about cocaine trafficker Pablo Escobar which Oliver Stone is producing.
- Oct 9, 2007
AceShowbiz - Seems "Killing Pablo" will have a tough on-screen rival to face against. Variety has just reported that acclaimed filmmaker Antoine Fuqua is poised to handle helming task on a new big screen feature titled "Escobar", which will be a biopic about notorious Colombian cocaine trafficker Pablo Escobar.
Project is based on "Mi Hermano Pablo," a book written by Roberto Escobar Gaviria, Escobar's brother. Gaviria is known to have served as the accountant and confidant to Escobar while his company, STL Holdings, committed the life and literary rights of the Escobar family.
"My brother will be portrayed as a ruthless head of the Medellin cartel," so Gaviria said in a statement. "This is just 10% of the story. The other 90% is the story others trying to portray him simply don't have."
On board to produce is Oliver Stone who will perform the duties alongside James Reach as well as Justin Berfield and Jason Felts of J2 Pictures. Meanwhile, script has been entrusted into David McKenna's hands to be re-written under the supervision of Fuqua and Stone with filming being scheduled to start by the first quarter of 2008 in Colombia and Puerto Rico.
"This is a great project about a fascinating man who took on the system," Stone commented. "I think I have to thank 'Scarface,' and maybe even Ari Gold."
