News > Rival Escobar Biopic from Stone and Fuqua

Written by David Morgan

Antoine Fuqua is set to direct Escobar, a film he hopes will be the first of two Pablo Escobar biopics. The film is being produced by Oliver stone along with James Reach, and J2 Pictures partners Justin Berfield (former child actor of Malcolm in the Middle), and Jason Felts.

Their competition in the race to portray the Colombian drug lord on screen is Joe Carnahan's Killing Pablo, which will star Christian Bale and Javier Bardem. This film is at a slight disadvantage as Carnahan is currently committed to directed White Jazz with George Clooney.

Escobar is based on the book Mi Hermano Pablo by Roberto Escobar Gaviria, who served as his brother's accountant and confidant. The book is currently being adapted by David McKenna (Blow, American History X). Production is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2008.

Carnahan has apparently been working on his film for five years and is none too pleased about this new film. Says Berfield, "Joe Carnahan's notion of us poaching his territory and rushing for a pre-strike start is false. We've been working with Robert and a half-dozen consultants for a year and a half to tell an accurate story."

"Escobar was Robin Hood, a saint to some, and the devil to others," Fuqua told Daily Variety. "He's a fascinating study in contrasts… He came from the wrong side of the tracks with nothing, but when he died was worth $3 billion… He was one of the most successful criminals we've ever seen, and that's why I find him such a compelling subject for a movie."

Indeed. It's a shame that Fuqua's film will probably get through first considering what a great team Christian Bale and Javier Bardem would have been.