Relativity Media has signed on for King Of Cocaine, and the long-gestating Brad Furman-directed biopic of Medellin Cartel kingpin Pablo Escobar is finally in shape to start production in Colombia in January. In an intriguing development, John Leguizamo has been set to play the lead role. After watching actors from Oscar Isaac to Benecio Del Toro circle this and other Escobar pics, Leguizamo got the job basically because he refused to take no for an answer, a trait that Escobar could probably relate to if he was still alive. Leguizamo, who was born in Colombia, has long felt he was born to play the role of Escobar, who rose from poverty to riches as a notorious drug kingpin until his murderous reign ended in a hail of bullets in 1993. After Inside Llewyn Davis star Isaac dropped out, Leguizamo was once again told no by producer Scott Steindorff, with whom he had just worked in the Jon Favreau-directed Chef. Leguizamo then went out and spent upwards of $15,000 of his own money for a fat suit and prosthetic makeup that rendered him a dead ringer for Escobar at his prime. Leguizamo filmed his own screen test, and got Steindorff to submit it to Relativity execs and Furman, without disclosing the identity of the actor. They liked the test enough to ask who it was, and Leguizamo was hired shortly after that to star in the $25 million film. Last time I heard of an actor successfully turning around a director with a test like this for a lead role was when Elijah Wood went Middle Earth for his own screen test and won over Peter Jackson for The Lord Of The Rings. Furman, who helmed Lincoln Lawyer and is about to open Runner, Runner with Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake, wrote the script. Leguizamo, who’s repped by UTA and Silver Lining Entertainment, was just seen in Kick-Ass 2, next stars in the Ridley Scott-directed The Counselor, followed by the Ice Cube/Kevin Hart comedy Ride Along and then Chef.
Posted on: Mon, 09 Sep 2013 18:58:15 +0000
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