Strike two! Director Antoine Fuqua has left the new Scarface movie

January 31st 2017, 7:35am

Not even 12 hours ago we got the news Ben Affleck would not be directing the upcoming Batman film. Sad as that is, there will be little time to properly mourn as yet another big-name director has left a big-name project, and some people may be big-time bummed out about it.

Variety got the news that TRAINING DAY and THE EQUALIZER director Antoine Fuqua has stepped down from directing Universal’s upcoming reimagining of the crime flick, SCARFACE. The movie was supposed to begin filming this spring, and the studio is already meeting with directors to take his place.

Though I’m sure in these scenarios people are expecting to hear reasons like, “Because Fuqua and a Universal exec came to fisticuffs,” or “because Fuqua is such a diva,” but the reasoning reportedly has everything to do with THE EQUALIZER sequel. Sony and star Denzel Washington are looking to get the project going quick, and Fuqua had already invested so much time in the movie that just walking away from it was something he couldn’t do. And so, because of scheduling conflicts, he has had to leave SCARFACE.

Centering on the rise of a Mexican immigrant in the crime world, this new version of the tale had the recent draft of the script penned by Terence Winter (THE WOLF OF WALL STREET), and with Universal apparently wanting ROGUE ONE's Diego Luna to star. But now the update of the 1932 and 1983 classics is going to have to find someone fast if Universal wants to stay on schedule, and even though they are searching we currently have no names to give you. But, most likely, it will not be any f@cking cock-a-roaches.

I know, I know, a lot of you are thinking, “Is it national Leave Your Directing Job day?” But I feel both of these men stepped away from their duties for good reasons. Fuqua left SCARFACE so he could focus on a movie he has already put so much TLC into, and Affleck just wants to be able to concentrate on being the Batman, which I can totally respect. Plus, though Fuqua would probably do a good job I find his recent movies not rising above the rank of solid-but-forgettable popcorn flicks. This could give Universal a chance to find someone who could make a more unique SCARFACE movie, something that I think the likes of David Ayer would be perfect for. But he’s probably busy doing his SUICIDE SQUAD-meets-OCEAN’S 8 movie, GOTHAM CITY SIRENS. Ah, to dream though.

SCARFACE will aim to get started this spring and we can maybe expect a 2018 release.