Several filmmakers, including, most notably Joe Carnahan, have attempted to capture the story of Colombian cocaine trafficker Pablo Escobar on celluloid. But they've had trouble getting their projects through development. Now actor-director Andrea di Stefano is set to get shooting, and has scored Benicio del Toro to play the lead in Paradise Lost.

The director also wrote the script, which takes an original approach to the man. It’ll focus on Nick, a young surfer who goes to visit his brother in Colombia and falls for a local girl called Maria. But there’s a problem with Maria, and one Nick can’t easily solve: her uncle is Pablo Escobar.

The film is described more in the vein of The Last King Of Scotland: it’s not a direct biopic of Escobar, but will instead weave the young lovers’ story around Escobar’s actions.

Di Stefano is planning to start shooting this March in Panama. As an actor, he’ll also be seen on our screens in Life Of Pi, which arrives on December 20.

Del Toro will next crop up in Jimmy Picard and one of Terrence Malick’s new, still-untitled projects.