With “The Bear” doing gangbusters over at Hulu, all eyes are on Christopher Storer and what he might do next. Well, it appears he’s ready to trade in his stories about chefs for a new story about a hitman in the upcoming film, “The Winter of Frankie Machine.”
According to Deadline, Christopher Storer has signed on to direct a new crime drama, “The Winter of Frankie Machine,” which is based on the novel by Don Winslow. The story follows an aging, retired hitman, Frankie, from San Diego who is called to do one more job—mediate a deal between Detroit and Los Angeles crime families. However, Frankie soon realizes the job is a setup and he’s the actual target.
If this story sounds familiar, it’s because ‘Frankie Machine’ is a book that has been in development as a film for years. Originally, Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese were attached to make the film. However, when De Niro was given the non-fiction book, “I Hear You Paint Houses,” the actor convinced Scorsese to drop ‘Frankie Machine’ and focus their efforts on what would eventually be “The Irishman.” Now, Storer is taking the reins. Storer’s film will actually use the script originally written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien, which was to be used by Scorsese and De Niro.
As mentioned, Storer is probably best known for being the mastermind behind the two seasons of “The Bear,” which has been a massive hit for Hulu. After an acclaimed first season, the second just dropped last week and is already contending for Best Of 2023. It’s clear that Storer really had quite a few opportunities to choose from, so it’s interesting that he’s reviving this shelved crime drama.
It’s unclear when production might start on ‘Frankie Machine,’ as the strikes have thrown everything for a loop. However, if Storer can bring that filmmaking eye we’ve seen in two seasons of “The Bear” to ‘Frankie Machine,’ then this has the chance to be something special.
