There's been glimpses here and there from paparazzi pics and, of course, the first official image of Josh Brolin and Sean Penn squaring off but we now have our first look at the titular "Gangster Squad" in "Zombieland" and "30 Minutes Or Less" director Ruben Fleischer's L.A.-set noir flick.
Positioned from left to right to backdrop of L.A.'s city hall we have Michael Pena, Ryan Gosling, Robert Patrick (in a role previously filled by Bryan Cranston), Anthony Mackie and their leader Brolin — all of whom are tasked with taking down gangster Mickey Cohen, portrayed by Penn. The sprawling tale also co-stars Emma Stone, Nick Nolte, Giovanni Ribisi, Holt McCallany, Frank Grillo, Josh Pence, Sullivan Stapleton, Mirielle Enos and Troy Garity in what promises to be the quite the epic.
The story itself is based on a series of articles in the L.A. Times by Paul Lieberman which was picked up soon after its publication in 2008 by Warner Bros. who, in turn, hired former L.A. cop-turned-novelist Will Beall to adapt. The major focus of Lieberman’s article was a specialized L.A.P.D. unit set up in the ‘40s to fight the growing influence of the East Coast Mafia and Cohen, a mogul who started as muscle for Al Capone in Chicago.
The film is slated to hit theaters on October 19th, a date that strongly suggests a fall festival premiere. [L.A. Times]