Although he’s hardly up-and-coming, James Gray is one of Hollywood’s most talented directors, yet he still hasn’t been able to get the recognition he deserves. Following a Cannes premiere for his most recent project, The Immigrant, the release looks to sadly be stalled by The Weinstein Company, who haven’t indicated if it’ll sneak into their 2013 release calendar.
For what is possibly his next film, however, he’ll be teaming with a much bigger studio for an enticing project. According to Deadline, Warner Bros. has hired the filmmaker to write and direct a contemporary Boston-set mob thriller titled White Devil. But for those thinking it will be an Irish-infused tale akin to The Departed, you will be mistaken. Rather, this story circles around a white child who gets adopted by a Chinese family and rises to the top of their mafia.
The film, which is said to be of the “big scale” variety, is reportedly based on the real-life story of John Willis, “a Dorchester native who is known as White Devil John, allegedly a ringleader in a drug-trafficking conspiracy centered around Asian organized crime.” Although the filmmaker has projects at Paramount and Fox, this could very well be his next film, as it’s a priority for the studio. Check back as we get confirmation for what is already one of our most-anticipated projects.
Are you looking forward to Gray’s big-scale mob film?