Al Pacino Joins Cary Elwes & Bill Skarsgard’s All-Studded Crime Thriller

Al Pacino joins Bill Skarsgård (Nosferatu) and Cary Elwes (Saw) to star in a new hostage thriller titled Dead Man’s Wire. Directed by Academy Award nominee Gus Van Sant and with a screenplay from Austin Kolodney, the film has previously tapped Dacre Montgomery (Stranger Things), Myha’la (Bodies Bodies Bodies), and Colman Domingo (Euphoria) for undisclosed roles.

Per Deadline‘s report, Al Pacino will star in Van Sant’s upcoming film, Dead Man’s Wire. The movie is based on a true hostage situation that took place on February 8, 1977, when Anthony G. “Tony” Kiritis took Richard O. Hall, the president of the Meridian Mortgage Company, hostage with a shotgun wired with a “dead man’s wire” that linked the weapon’s trigger with his own neck, demanding for $5 million, no criminal charges, and a personal apology from Halls. It’s currently unknown which character Pacino is set to play in the thriller.

What This Means For Dead Man’s Wire

The Movie Returns Al Pacino To The Hostage Thriller Genre

Pacino has previously starred in a hostage thriller, the 1975 classic Dog Day Afternoon, which also involved a tense true-story-inspired situation surrounded by media attention and authorities. The real-life robbery that inspired Van Sant’s upcoming feature took place when Kiritsis’ mortgage broker, Richard O. Hall, refused to give him additional time for payment. Kiritsis became convinced that Hall wanted his property and took the man hostage. During the 63 hours that Kiritsis held Hall hostage, he made frequent calls to radio station reporter Fred Heckman while working on an agreement with Hall.

Meanwhile, the police chief struggled to move forward with the plan to shoot Kiritsis and jam the gun at the same time. Kiritsis eventually released Hall, for which he was immediately arrested and tried in court, but was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Psychiatrists believed that Kiritsis suffered from a psychotic break. Kiritsis was released from a mental institution in 1988. Dead Man’s Wire has a similar premise to Dog Day Afternoon. While Al Pacino previously played an inexperienced criminal leading the robbery, it’s unclear which role he’ll play in Van Sant’s new thriller.

Our Take On Al Pacino’s Dead Man’s Wire Casting

He’s Perfect For Several Roles

Production of Dead Man’s Wire started in January and is expected to wrap in May, which means more information on Pacino’s casting might become available in the near future. The Scarface star is no stranger to the crime genre, having been a legendary existence in the film industry. While it’s unlikely for him to be a crime lord in the upcoming film, he could be a good fit for the property broker Richard O. Hall, if the role has not been taken by Elwes.

Given that Pacino joined the cast slightly later than his castmates, it’s unlikely to see him in the lead roles of Dead Man’s Wire. On the other hand, it’d be interesting to see him as the police chief or the newsman, with both roles involving the characters being put in the position to make difficult choices.

Source: Deadline