The other day we learned director Michael Mann is working on a prequel to Heat, which shocked quite a few of the director’s fans. Under Mann’s new venture, Michael Mann Books, the prequel will begin as a novel, and possibly be adapted into a film or television series. Just two days after that announcement, another project from Michael Mann Books is in the works: author Don Winslow (Savages) is writing a novel about Chicago crime boss Tony Accardo and his successor Sam Giancana, which Mann might adapt into a feature film.
This isn’t the first time Winslow and Mann have collaborated. Years ago the director was attached to an adaptation of Winslow’s novel The Winter of Frankie Machine, which William Friedkin (The French Connection) is now developing. Winslow is now taking on this crime story with Mann, who’s been itching to make a film about Accardo and Giancana for years now. Back in 2010, the director reportedly paid Sheldon Turner (Up in the Air) seven figures out of his own pocket to write the picture, then titled Big Tuna, which was Accardo’s nickname.
According to Deadline, Mann will now produce and possibly direct the project, based on Winslow’s novel and a script the director co-wrote with Shane Salerno (Savages), whose The Story Factory reps Michael Mann Books. Once Winslow finishes up his next novel, he’ll begin writing this project in late spring. Shortly after that, Michael Mann Books will have discussions with publishers. The plan is to release the novel in 2017, and if we’re lucky, maybe we’ll see Mann direct an adaptation soon after it’s published.
Winslow is no stranger to sprawling crime stories. Two of his novels, The Power of the Dog and its recent sequel, The Cartel, which Ridley Scott is attached to direct, are epic in scope. He has a cinematic style of writing as well, so him and Mann should make for a fine pairing for this true-life crime story. For the novel, Mann acquired rights and previously undisclosed material from the Accardo family.
Tony Accardo ran the Chicago outfit, the most powerful mob in all of America at the time. The Big Tuna got his start as a gangster with the infamous St. Valentine’s Massacre and his time as a crime boss lasted eight decades. Sam Giancana was the one that took the outfit to the next level, getting involved in Las Vegas, politics, the music industry, and more. It’s a long, wild story — the kind of story author and screenwriter Don Winslow should do wonders with.
The post Michael Mann and Don Winslow Working on a Tony Accardo and Sam Giancana Biopic appeared first on /Film.
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