Oscar winning filmmaker is set to direct Assassination, the David Mamet-written film about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The film is set to star Shia LaBeouf and Al Pacino. According to Deadline, Mamet was originally set to direct the film, which was first reported out of Cannes earlier this year where it was being marketed by Arclight.
The film is set to tell the story of JFK’s murder from the point of view of the mob by reimagining the death as a hit ordered by Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana as payback for the president’s attempt to undermine the mob after the helped get him elected. The film is being produced by Corey Large and Nicholas Celozzi, the latter of which is the grandnephew of the real-life Giancana. John Burnham and Arclight Films’ Gary Hamilton and Pia Patatian, Jordan Nott, Bernie Gewissler and Amar Balaggan are executive producers.
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In addition to LaBeouf and Pacino, previously announced cast includes Viggo Mortensen, John Travolta, Rebecca Pidgeon, and Courtney Love.
“With the undeniable talent of David Mamet at the helm and our stellar cast led by Viggo Mortensen, Al Pacino, Shia LaBeouf and John Travolta, the stars have truly aligned. Assassination is a riveting and gripping thriller set in a pivotal period in American history, brilliantly crafted by Mamet – it’s an absolutely fantastic project.” Arclight Films Chairman Gary Hamilton said previously.
It’s unclear why Mamet is no longer directing the film, but this isn’t the first time that Levinson and Mamet has collaborated. The two have previously worked together on 1997’s Wag The Dog and HBO’s Phil Spector. According to the report, Levinson will be putting “his own stamp “on Assassination. Filming had been scheduled to start on the film in September but has not yet begun due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Levinson is best known for his work on films such as 1982’s Diner, 1984’s The Natural, 1987’s Good Morning, Vietnam, 1991’s Bugsy, and 1998’s Rain Man, the latter for which he won the Oscar for Best Director. More recently, he co-executive produced the Hulu miniseries, Dopesick and directed the first two episodes of that series.
Assassination does not yet have an anticipated release date.
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