Mann and MACHINE

By Will Reynolds / June 25, 2011

Variety reports that Michael Mann has closed a deal with Paramount to direct Frankie Machine, a film based on Don Winslow's novel The Winter of Frankie Machine. Now here's the cool part: Robert De Niro will take the lead role of Frankie Machianno, which makes this a reunion of a kind since Mann last worked with Bobby in crime epic Heat. The trade papers give the follwoing plot description:

"...A mob hitman who has retired to run a bait shop. He agrees to help the son of a mob boss resolve a dispute with another Mafioso but is forced to turn into Frankie Machine again when he realizes he's been set up to be killed. "

De Niro has been attached to the Brian Koppelman / David Levien draft for a while and at one point Martin Scorsese was going to make this film. Once upon a time Mann was going to direct The Aviator but he ceded the director's chair to Scorsese, so it's interesting how the roles are now reversed. source - variety