John Woo and Nicolas Cage Reunite for 'Gambino' - A Crime Biopic Heads to AFM
It's like looking in a mirror - three decades later. John Woo (movies and tv series) and Nicolas Cage (movies and tv series) are teaming up again, this time for Gambino, a crime biopic about New York mob boss Carlo Gambino (movies and tv series). If Face/Off is still echoing in your head, you're not alone. This reunion has that same electricity, just pointed at a real figure who ruled the city (movies and tv series)'s underworld with a whisper.
WME Independent is taking the project to market at this week's American Film Market, with a script by George Gallo (movies and tv series) (Bad Boys) and Nick Vallelonga (movies and tv series) (Green Book). For buyers, that's a familiar, confident package: star, auteur director, experienced scribes, and a true-crime hook that travels.
The movie follows Cage as Gambino - a butcher's son from Sicily who built quiet control in a loud city. After Gambino's death, Pulitzer-winning journalist Jimmy Breslin (movies and tv series) follows the trail he left behind, piecing together the man (movies and tv series) behind the legend through people who loved him and people who feared him. It's a character study with teeth, rather than a greatest-hits montage of mob violence.
For anyone needing a refresher: Carlo Gambino led the New York family that still bears his name and influenced mob politics for more than 50 years. He died in 1976, leaving behind a footprint that reporters, cops, and filmmakers have picked over ever since.
New Package, New Backers
Gambino was first revealed a few years back, but it's been fully retooled with Woo directing, Cage starring, and fresh financing. Cassian Elwes is producing alongside Edward Zeng of NextG Films, plus Robert Daly Jr. and David Lipper (movies and tv series) of Latigo Films. NextG is financing, with Cage, Gallo, and Vallelonga also producing. John Burnham is on as executive producer.
There's real money behind this. Elwes and Zeng launched a $100M film fund last year. As Zeng puts it, "We aim to deliver an epic cinematic experience that brings audiences back to the theater again and again… and reminds everyone that the future is ours to shape." Big words, sure - but the checkbook seems to match the ambition.
Why This Pairing Matters
Woo and Cage didn't just blow the doors (movies and tv series) off in Face/Off; they also teamed on Windtalkers in 2002. So yes, it's been 23 years since their last ride, and fans have been waiting. Woo's brand of "bullet ballet" - The Killer, Hard Boiled, Mission: Impossible II - is action with a point of view. Recently, he remade The Killer for Peacock with Omar Sy (movies and tv series), Sam Worthington (movies and tv series), and Nathalie Emmanuel (movies and tv series).
Cage, meanwhile, is deep into an eclectic run: last year's horror buzz with Longlegs, a Spider-Noir series, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, and a John Madden (movies and tv series) biopic in the works. He's also eyeing the Lords of War sequel. And, in a fun twist, Cage's Face/Off co-star John Travolta (movies and tv series) played John Gotti (movies and tv series) back in 2018 - different boss, same neighborhood.
What Buyers Will Want To Know
- Sales: WME Independent is launching at the American Film Market.
- Producers/Financing: NextG Films is financing. Producers are Cassian Elwes; Edward Zeng; Robert Daly Jr. and David Lipper (Latigo Films). Cage, George Gallo, and Nick Vallelonga also produce. John Burnham is executive producer.
- Story POV: A posthumous portrait of Gambino through journalist Jimmy Breslin's reporting and the voices around the boss.
- Subject: Carlo Gambino - the New York power broker whose quiet manner hid a ruthless streak and long reach.
- Representation: Cage is repped by WME, Stride Management, and Patrick Knapp at GGSSC. John Woo is repped by IAG, John Burnham at Atlas Artists, and attorneys Tom Hansen and Stuart Bookman at Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.
Here's what this could mean: a prestige-leaning crime biopic with a kinetic filmmaker, a star who thrives in complex antihero roles, and a sales-friendly package. If casting for Breslin lands right and schedules line up, expect strong pre-sale interest and a quick path to production. We'll be watching for a start date - and who lands the pen-and-notebook role that threads the whole story together.
