It was merely a week ago that Luc Besson locked in the services of Robert De Niro for his new, dark comic tale Malavita. He now has Michelle Pfeiffer in talks to co-star.

Pfeiffer, who is currently on our screens in Dark Shadows, would play De Niro’s wife, a woman who really should not be crossed, since she’s A) married to a mobster and B) almost as dangerous as he is, with a nasty habit of lighting things on fire.

Besson and co-writer Michael Caleo have adapted the script from Tonino Benacquista’s novel Badfellas, which follows what happens when a notorious mafia family relocates to France as part of the witness protection program. The trouble is, no matter how hard they try to settle in and blend with the local community, their old life keeps catching up with them. And they’re far too tempted to slip back into criminal ways to solve problems.

Besson and co. head to Normandy to shoot the film this August, and we should see the results next year. It’ll be a reunion for De Niro and Pfeiffer who worked together on Stardust and New Year’s Eve (though chances are they might both want to forget the latter).