Anthony Hopkins joins the cast of Gotti

Anthony Hopkins to take on role in New York mobster biopic Gotti
Welsh acting legend Anthony Hopkins has been named in the cast of the highly anticipated biopic of American mafiosi John Gotti.
May 20, 2013


He's played a Norse god, a crazed serial killer and a string of real life characters including Richard Nixon, Picasso and Captain William Bligh.

Now Port Talbot-born Sir Anthony Hopkins is to take on the role of a senior New York gangster in the forthcoming mobster biopic Gotti.

The movie is based on the story of real-life mafia boss, John “The Teflon Don” Gotti.

Film financing, distribution and sales company IM Global announced 75-year-old Hopkins would be joining the cast of Gotti at the Cannes Film Festival.

American actor, dancer and singer John Travolta is to play John Gotti and his wife Preston will play Gotti’s wife, Victoria. Captain America director Joe Johnston will lead the project.

He said: “I think we’ve always been fascinated with the idea of the romantic outlaw. John Gotti could be in one instance a charismatic, kind and loving family man, and in another, deadly to his enemies.”

Hopkins’ role has not yet been announced but he is expected to play a leading mobster.

John Gotti, born into poverty in New York’s South Bronx, became the head of the Gambino crime family in New York after organising the killing of Paul “Big Paul” Castellano who had previously led what was then the nation’s biggest cosa nostra family.

Gotti got his “Teflon Don” nickname after the authorities in New York failed to make charges stick against the gangster despite three high profile trials.

However, Gotti, also known as the “Dapper Don” because of his sharp suits, spent the last ten years of his life in jail after finally being convicted of five counts of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and racketeering.

Gotti’s so-called underboss Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano has been credited with helping the FBI eventually bring Gotti to justice.

In 1991, Gravano turned state’s evidence to testify for the prosecution against Gotti after hearing his boss on police tape recordings making disparaging remarks about him behind his back.

Sentenced to life in prison without parole Gotti died in 2002 aged 61 of throat cancer.

Gotti’s flamboyant style was at odds with most of his peers who preferred staying out of the limelight.

Anthony “Gaspipe” Casso, a former leading figure in the Lucchese crime family said: “What John Gotti did, was the beginning of the end of Cosa Nostra”..

From an original idea by his son, John A Gotti, the film has been scripted by Leo Rossi, who previously wrote Mafioso: The Father, The Son.

Hopkins, one of the most prolific and versatile actors in Hollywood, has recently finished work on Darren Aronofsky’s biblical epic, Noah in which he plays Methuselah and is due to start work next on Andy Garcia’s movie Hemingway & Fuentes.

Hopkins is also reported to have signed on to play the part of lager billionaire Freddie Heineken in a movie about the Dutch tycoon’s kidnap in Amsterdam in the 1980s.

Gotti is due to shooting this September in New York.

He is also reprising his role as king of the norse gods Odin in Thor: The Dark World (due for release in November) and will play a mad nuclear scientist alongside the likes of Helen Mirren, Catherine Zeta Jones, Brian Cox, John Malkovich and Bruce Willis in the spy spoof Red 2 due for release in July.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/showbiz/anthony-hopkins-take-role-new-3878221

I reckon Hopkins could play Joseph Armone possibly

Hopkins could play anyone, given his talents--especially for mimickry. He is a phenom. I saw him on a bio program about Brando. There must be 200 million Vito Corleone imitators in the world, but Hopkins, in 10 seconds, did the best Vito imitation I ever heard.

Perhaps you've heard this one before:

When the studio was re-releasing "Spartacus," they restored a scene with Olivier and Tony Curtis in a bath together because, at the time, it was considered too racy. The soundtrack from the deleted scene was corrupted. Curtis was available to reread his lines, but Olivier was dead. They hired Hopkins to do Olivier's voice-over.

Hopkins could play anyone, given his talents--especially for mimickry. He is a phenom. I saw him on a bio program about Brando. There must be 200 million Vito Corleone imitators in the world, but Hopkins, in 10 seconds, did the best Vito imitation I ever heard.

Perhaps you've heard this one before:

When the studio was re-releasing "Spartacus," they restored a scene with Olivier and Tony Curtis in a bath together because, at the time, it was considered too racy. The soundtrack from the deleted scene was corrupted. Curtis was available to reread his lines, but Olivier was dead. They hired Hopkins to do Olivier's voice-over.

Well, it's september, have they started shooting the movie?

ive been hearing about this movie forever it feels like. money might just be the issue. or they dont know what they are doinggg

If i was Hopkins i'd get all my money up front. This movie has been plagued with financial trouble from the start. Not sure though if new people have taken over the project or if it's still the original guys running the show. I still have my doubts that this movie will ever really get made.

This film ever happening ??? Gotti jr got stabbed last year ?

Stuttering John from the old Howard Stern Show is one of the producers. That should tell you were it's at.
http://nypost.com/2011/01/28/travolta-dines-with-junior-and-buddies-for-gotti-biopic/

Haha beans thanks for the info all my high expections just went out the window

Is this movie ever to come out or ever get made.

I said it four years ago after that retarded, shameless press conference. It'll never happen.

What's the holdup on it for?.....Didn't Joe pesci sue them for 1 million because he gained weight to play Angelo and then never got the role?

They don't have any money. They never had any money. And they're never going to get any money. That press conference a few years ago was a shameless money grab, and it failed miserably.

The only place to get financing for a film like that is through a guy like the late Joe Dente. A full-on wiseguy with deep pockets and serious connections in the "B Movie" industry. But seeing as they don't like the subject matter, or the people involved with the so-called production of the film, it ain't gonna happen. Their only shot is with a two dollar cast and a straight-to-dvd release.

As for Travolta? What a joke. John Gotti was 61 years old when he died. Travolta is 60 now. And the movie is supposed to be set mostly in the '70s and '80s .

Thanks PB....But you would think that some private investor big shot would finance something like this, considering everyone loves a gangster flick... I think it would do good in the box office.

I was hoping they would make the movie so you can see Junior Gotti get stabbed at the Premier

Do you remember when Gotti Jr. was on 60 minutes? The Feds were not interviewed because the Gotti's (Victoria and baby huey) probably would have not have granted the interview. Remember he mentioned "the Streets" instead of Cosa Nostra or the life? He would have built his Dad as the next coming of jesus Christ. No worthwhile artistc Director, producer or writer would want to work with such revisionists and control freaks who would cut any part that would make the Gotti's look bad. Just my opinion.

What ever happened to "I Heard You Paint Houses"? Scorcese was suppose to do this film based on the book. Suppose to be the "true" story of Jimmy Hoffa's murder as told by Frank Sheeran...the murderer. I read the book; interesting tale.

It was bullshit from the beginning. Joe Pesce was supposed to be in it. Al Pacino was supposed to be in it. Next I hear my dead Daddio will be in it.

My youngest son used to hang out with Gotti's baby boy. My son at the time could not tell what a friend really was. I told him this guy is not your friend. I also told him I love him, but he was too stupid to last long in that life.

It's not on IMDB anywhere. Any the only thing John Melendez is tied to is something called "Mob Street" or "Wall Street Mafia." Only in "announced" stage, and allegedly Chazz Palminteri is writing it:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1508699/?ref_=nm_flmg_prd_1

I doubt that this new Gotti pic will ever see the light of day,but in the event that is does,I think Hopkins would be a great Neil Dellacroce. He can project understated malice and terror with the best of them.

I think the ship has sailed on this film, but I agree Hopkins would have been a great Dellacroce. But time is not on anyone's side -- Hopkins will be 77 this year, and Dellacroce was 71 when he died of cancer.