This is the time of year, right before the kickoff of the Cannes Film Festival, when filmmakers put together tentative projects to present at the Cannes Film Market. This is when we get teases for massive features with amazing casts and filmmakers all being offered to the highest bidder. And this year, perhaps the most intriguing project up for sale is “Assassination.”
According to Arclight Films, David Mamet is ready to begin work on his newest film, “Assassination.” And as you might expect from a Mamet production, the filmmaker has pulled together a truly impressive cast that includes Al Pacino (“The Irishman”), Viggo Mortensen (“Eastern Promises”), John Travolta (“Pulp Fiction”), Shia LaBeouf (“Honey Boy”), Rebecca Pidgeon (“Heist”), and Courtney Love (“The People vs. Larry Flynt”).
Here’s the synopsis of the film:
1963. During a crucial justice hearing against organized crime, the head of the Chicago mob orders the assassination of President John F. Kennedy Jr., creating a deadly conspiracy while altering the fate of a nation.
Obviously, the biggest selling feature of this film is Mamet. He’s an award-winning filmmaker who has written films such as “The Untouchables,” “Glengarry Glen Ross,” and “Wag the Dog.” “Assassination” will also mark the first film from Mamet since 2013’s HBO feature, “Phil Spector,” which also stars Pacino. Before that, his other most recent film is 2008’s “Redbelt.” So, a new Mamet project is definitely a cause for celebration.
Adding to the interest in this film is the unique cast. Pacino is a known quantity and still one of the most celebrated actors working today. Mortensen is also up there with Pacino. But then you have folks like LaBeouf, who is attempting his latest comeback after controversy, and Travolta, who hasn’t really starred in anything of consequence in a number of years (probably “The People v. OJ Simpson” in 2016). And let’s not forget Love, who received acclaim for “The People v. Larry Flynt” decades ago but hasn’t really been able to find that same success in anything since then and rarely does any acting work in big-name productions.
Needless to say, when you have this sort of eclectic cast working for one of the most celebrated filmmakers of the last 40 years, you’re bound to attract some attention. You have to imagine “Assassination” will be highly sought-after at this year’s Cannes Film Market.