This article was written exclusively for The Film Magazine by George Taylor.
Luca Guadagnino to Direct New Scarface Reboot
According to recent reports, acclaimed director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name, A Bigger Splash) has been announced to helm a new reboot of the iconic crime drama Scarface. The current screenplay is credited to the Coen Brothers (Hail, Caesar!, Inside Llewyn Davis), although the project has gone through several earlier drafts by writers including Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, Jonathan Herman and Paul Attanasio.
Scarface is a title with a long cinematic lineage. The most famous adaptation remains Brian De Palma’s 1983 film starring Al Pacino, itself a reimagining of Howard Hawks’ 1932 original. That history gives any new version a significant legacy to contend with: audiences and critics alike will inevitably measure Guadagnino’s approach against both the classic gangster storytelling of the early 20th century and the bombastic, neon-soaked 1980s incarnation.
Guadagnino brings to the project a distinct visual sensibility and a track record with reinterpretations. His 2018 film Suspiria was a full-scale reworking of Dario Argento’s 1977 horror landmark, rethinking mood, choreography and tone while remaining anchored to its source material’s core premise. That experience with adaptation suggests Guadagnino is likely to approach Scarface with a clear artistic vision rather than a simple remake-for-remake’s-sake.
The new Scarface is being developed for Universal and will be produced by Dylan Clark Productions, the production company known for recent tentpoles such as Netflix’s Bird Box and the modern Planet of the Apes trilogy. At this stage the studio has not announced a release date, and details about casting remain unconfirmed. Given the property’s profile and the involvement of high-profile creative talent, the film will likely generate significant industry attention as it moves through development and production.
Beyond Scarface, Guadagnino has several other projects in various stages of development. He is reported to be adapting Bob Dylan’s 1975 album Blood on the Tracks into a feature, and he is attached to an adaptation of Hannah Kent’s historical novel Burial Rites, which has drawn headlines for its reported association with actress Jennifer Lawrence. These projects indicate Guadagnino’s broad interests across genre, period material and literary adaptation, and suggest he will continue to shape projects that balance mainstream appeal with strong directorial authorship.
For viewers and cinephiles, key questions about the upcoming Scarface reboot include the tonal direction Guadagnino will take, how the Coen Brothers’ screenplay will reinterpret the characters and themes of ambition, power and violence, and whether the film will align itself more closely with the social and historical concerns of the original or the stylized excess of the 1983 version. Each choice will affect how the film is received and how it contributes to the ongoing conversation about remakes and cinematic legacy.
As development continues, audiences should expect periodic updates regarding casting, a production timeline and a release schedule. In the meantime, those interested in Guadagnino’s body of work and the Coen Brothers’ recent filmography may want to consult curated lists and retrospectives—such as rankings of the decade’s most notable films—to place this collaboration in broader cinematic context.
The studio has not released further production details. Stay tuned for confirmed announcements on casting, production dates and distribution plans as the project advances.