Ridley Scott To Direct 'American Gangster'

[Tuesday, February 14th, 2006]
Ridley Scott is in talks to direct Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington in the Brian Grazer-produced drama American Gangster, according to Variety.

The drama has a checkered past. In late 2004, Antoine Fuqua was a month from starting production in Harlem with Washington and Benicio Del Toro when U Pictures chairman Stacey Snider canceled the film over fear the budget would cross $100 million. Pay-or-play deals with Washington and Del Toro got settled, and the studio wrote off more than $20 million.

Story revolves around a Harlem heroin kingpin who figured out a way to smuggle heroin in the coffins of American soldiers returning from the Vietnam War.

Crowe, who would play a cop, appears to have the most challenging schedule. He's booked to star with Nicole Kidman in Baz Luhrmann's untitled period epic.

The hope is to shoot this summer.

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