They're Remaking SCARFACE (Again); Expect Mexicans

Once again in an exclusive from The Wrap, it appears the Howard Hawkes and Brian De Palma tellings of an immigrant's rise to bloody power and corruption weren't enough between Italians and Cubans, so now it appears SCARFACE is getting a do-over with a nice pedigree behind it, set to tell the story of Tony as a Mexican immigrant in Los Angeles in a very modern and relevant context with Pablo Larraín in talks to direct. 

“Scarface” will reimagine the core immigrant story told in both the 1932 and 1983 films. Universal's update will be an original story set in modern day Los Angeles that follows a Mexican immigrant's rise in the criminal underworld as he strives for the American Dream.

Two-time Oscar nominee Paul Attanasio (“Donnie Brasco”) wrote the current draft of the screenplay.

Obviously Latinos are a huge demographic which haven't quite been represented well enough in mainstream films with such a recent examples as Carey Mulligan replacing a would-be Latina part in 2011's DRIVE and Benedict Cumberbatch playing a would-be Latino's part in last summer's Star Trek Into Darkness; it appears films like SCARFACE and the recently released Caesar Chavez are hoping to rectify that. 

On the casting of the infamous role:

The filmmakers plan to cast an authentic Latino who is bilingual and bicultural as the lead character, whose name will be Tony, though his last name won't be Camonte (1932) or Montana (1983). While Oscar Isaac, Edgar Ramirez and Michael Pena rank among Hollywood's top Latino stars who are age-appropriate for the role, the producers are also open to casting a complete unknown in the name of authenticity.

Would frankly love for Diego Luna or Gael Garcia to be possible contenders; but I'd say Pena has the most range that hasn't been really given the chance (sans End of Watch); but is currently starring in the Chavez bio-pic.

Larraín has won several awards for his films No and Tony Manero so rest assured that SCARFACE will be put into capable hands. 

This news also means all of your friends with chain-wallets featuring a marijuana leaf and black-lights set up in their rooms can take down the dusty old black and white SCARFACE poster and hang a new one up in-between the one-sheets for Dazed and Confused and The Boondock Saints.