After a flurry of casting announcements, including word thatJohn Travolta and wife Kelly Preston would be signing on, things have been quiet of late around the film now called Gotti: In The Shadow Of My Father. But there is at last an update: Ben Foster has landed the pivotal role of John Gotti, Jr.
From the sound of it, Foster and Travolta will both be playing the man at different times of his life (Fiore films’ announcement, picked up by Variety, doesn’t specify on that point, so it’s also possible they’re father and son). He’s a solid choice for the role, since he’s shown his dark side in several films, including 3:10 to Yuma, and always manages to find some humanity lurking in there to boot.
With Al Pacino also in the cast, Barry Levinson is re-writing the script alongside James Toback and plans to kick off shooting in January. Foster, meanwhile, seems to delighted to team up once more with the man who gave him an early break. "Barry Levinson was the first director who took a chance on me, and I have a career because of him. This is a film about family, fathers and sons. I am deeply honoured for the opportunity to work with Barry and the amazing cast he is assembling to help bring the story of the Gotti family to the screen."
Gotti will focus on the family dynamic within the mob group, and follow how Gotti Jr eventually breaks away from his father in an attempt to leave the world of crime behind...