Sylvester Stallone just got an offer he couldn’t refuse… to play the Mob boss in a television adaptation of Mario (The Godfather) Puza’s final novel…
Industry site Deadline is reporting a significant – and perhaps unexpected – move for Sylvester Stallone. After so much publicity and plaudits for his supporting role in Creed, one might have expected Stallone to use that as leverage for even more significant big-screen roles. While he will continue to be a cinematic presence, it looks as if his next project could actually be a tv series. Though the veteran action actor passed on being directly involved in a Rambo spin-off series, it looks as if he’s been tempted by The Weinstein Company and A-List director Antoine Fuqua to lead an ensemble cast in a series based on the late Mario Puza’s gangland novel Omerta.
Puza (who wrote The Godfather) penned the story – the final tome before his death – of a mob boss and the battle to appoint a successor to his empire. Though it was originally eyed for a cinematic adaptation, its lengthy story and sweep make it more suited to an episodic format. Stallone would essay the part of the boss, Raymonde Aprile. The site indicates that this is a fast-moving project with Stallone’s involvement (also pulling double-duty as an executive-producer) likely to have given it even more momentum. With writers selected and further casting to come in the next few weeks, it is expected that it will gain a lot of attention and interest from networks competing for broadcast rights.
Stallone’s voice will be heard next in upcoming animated feature Ratchet & Clank and he’s currently filming a role for next year’s sequel Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.
