Stevenson,Walken, and Kilmer join The Irishman

[corran horn]

I just came across this interesting bit of news: Val Kilmer, Christopher Walken, and Ray Stevenson have joined the crime drama The Irishman, based on the book To Kill an Irishman: The War that Crippled the Mafia. Set in Cleveland, it tells the story of Irish gangster Danny Greene and how his actions and death crippled the mafia.

Coming from Youngstown, a city with its own colorful mafia story, I racall my father telling me about these people and how he knew some of them. Heck, I'm the only member of my immediate family who did not know at least one member of a mafia family. My father treated them in his doctor's office, my mother went to school with them, and my siblings went to school with their heirs. Needless to say, I am quite curious to see how this film turns out.

[DaMovieMan]

Walken in a gangster film with Irishmen?

Fuck yes.

[xseanymacx]

I've always felt the Irish mob doesn't get enough attention when it comes to films. They are just as integral to the crime world as any Italians. And being from Dorchester, MA and Irish...my interest is now 100% taken

[Steven S.]

Walken and Stevenson in the same movie? Damn that's almost as juicy a bit o' casting as Walken and Denis Leary was in Suicide Kings (ie; very). I'm all over this one.

[Bukkake]

Wow, a Christopher Walken movie that just may not suck, a rarity in this day and age.

[bigred760]

Hard to go wrong with mafia movies with Christopher Walken in them. I'm encourage by the rest of the cast as well.

[Lotis]

Vincent D'onofrio, Paul Sorvino, Fionnula Flanagan and Vinnie Jones have also joined the cast. Among the producers are Tara Reid and her brother Tommy Reid.

Just a few days ago they were filming at the remains of Tiger Stadium in Detroit, which was transformed into the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium (which no longer exists). Demolition of Tiger Stadium was continued afterward.

[Lotis]

There are some great new set photos on Ray-Stevenson.com

[XCoRyX]

Definetly interested.

[razgriz21]

From writer/director Johnathan Hensleigh.

[BlownCamaro]

I LOVE mafia movies. The cast sounds amazing! If only it can live up to the high standards set by The Departed as far as mafia/crime boss movies go. The cast can for sure pull it off. Guess it all lays with the director and script at this point.

[razgriz21]

^^^Well, the director wrote Die Hard With A Vengeance but I thought he did a decent job with The Punisher (Tom Jane).

[Lotis]

The screenplay was written by Jonathan Hensleigh and Jeremy Walters, inspired by the book "To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia" by Rick Porrello. Porrello's also an exec. producer of the film.

[corran horn]

I'm roughly 2/3 through the book, and it's really good, story-wise. My only complaint is that the editor didn't catch a number of typos. There's some really good parts that hopefully will be in the movie. One part I especially loved was when Danny Greene, the title character, attended a boy scout meeting as a child and set his scoutmaster's shoe on fire.

Here's a picture of the real Danny Greene:



And this site has stills of Ray as Danny:

http://www.movieset.com/theirishman/...-Simms.(C-129)

Pretty good likeness, I'd say.