Director Luc Besson (LEON, THE FIFTH ELEMENT) is getting back behind the camera again for MALAVITA, which is described as a “gangster thriller” that will star none other than Robert DeNiro as a retired American gangster living with his family under the witness protection program in Normandy. Based on the book Badfellas by Tonino Benacquista, it’s an ironic twist for one of the main stars of Scorsese’s GOODFELLAS.
Here’s the book synopsis:
Under cover of darkness, an American family moves into a villa in Cholong-sur-Avre in Normandy. Fred Blake, the father, tells everyone he is there to write a history of the Allied landings. His wife Maggie gets involved in a local charity; their teenage children enrol in the lycee. At first glance a family like any other. But Fred’s real name is Giovanni Manzoni – an ex-Mafia boss who has grassed and is now part of the FBI’s witness-protection program. And his record in other locations would indicate that his cover is not likely to last very long.
The project seems to be more of a black comedy than a “gangster thriller” so it’s still up in the air on what we can expect. LEON meets MEET THE PARENTS perhaps?
It’s been a long while since Besson directed anything of note as he’s been busy churning out something like twelve high-concept scripts per year and passing them off to someone else. For me, Besson hasn’t done anything prolific since THE FIFTH ELEMENT. It’d be nice to see him back in form.
More as this develops.
And here’s this, to remind you of Besson in top form:
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