Sure. Okay. Fine. Vinny Barbarino aka John Travolta really has made some lousy films over the last few years. Oh yeah, he's been stinking up Hollywood big time. But now comes some really great casting news - he's just signed on to play mobster John Gotti in the upcoming feature film, "Gotti: Three Generations," based on the life of John Gotti Jr. and his relationship with his infamous father. The movie's producers Fiore Films also announced that Nick Cassavetes ("Blow," "John Q," "The Notebook") has signed to direct and the great Joe Pesci will co-star.
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"I got especially excited about the project after I met John Gotti, Jr. because his story is fascinating and I found him to be compelling, compassionate and caring," said Travolta.
"I'm really happy to be making this picture with my good friend Nick Cassavetes," said Pesci. "It's going to be a great experience and a rare opportunity to look inside the life of Gotti."
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John Gotti was head of the Gambino crime family, which in its time was the largest and most powerful crime organization in the country. Known as the "Dapper Don," John Gotti's flamboyant style and outspoken personality made him one of the most famous mobsters of the 20th century and he ruled the underworld until he died from cancer in 2002 while serving a life sentence. In 1988, at the age of 24, Gotti Jr. became a "made man," and was officially inducted into the Mafia, making him the heir-apparent to head the Gambino crime family.
Fiore Films acquired life rights from John Gotti Jr., the son of the late mob boss John Gotti, to the story of his life with his father. The deal marks the first time a member of the Gotti family has entered into an agreement to tell their story for a major motion picture. Production is expected to begin in the fall, with a theatrical release in late 2012. The film will be shot in New York.
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"John Gotti was an iconic figure in American history, and you need an actor of John Travolta's caliber to not just portray him, but to get audiences to believe they are actually watching him," said Marc Fiore, executive producer and producer of the film and CEO of Fiore Films, LLC. "Add to that Nick's direction based on his extensive knowledge and interest in this genre and you have a truly compelling film."
"While there have been several productions about my father, none of them have captured the truth about my family and what went on behind closed doors," said Gotti, Jr. "We decided to work with Fiore Films because their vision of what this movie should be was the same as ours -- to bring it as close to fact as possible. This is a movie about my father and I, against the backdrop of the life he chose for himself."
Actor-writer Leo Rossi ("Analyze This") wrote the screenplay for the film, which reveals the relationship of a father who lived and died by the mob code and a son who chose to leave that world behind and redeem himself. Never before has there been such an inside look at the life of one of the Gotti family and their world of danger, betrayal and redemption.
