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In the ongoing battle of Pablo Escobar biopics, I think Smokin' Joe Carnahan finally has managed to one-up Oliver Stone in the war between the two (possibly three) Pablo Escobar films currently in development. Carnahan recently updated his personal blog with news that he had received a letter from Juan Pablo Escobar, the only son of the infamous drug baron. It would appear that Carnahan has managed to impress the family member, since according to Joe, "He offered me unlimited access to his family's history, including photos, films, letters and the like". Carnahan's film is based on the book by Mark Bowden, and focuses on the "cocaine cartel dismantled by US Special Forces and intelligence, the Colombian military, and a vigilante gang controlled by the Cali cartel".

The whole thing started back in October when news of Stone's film first began to hit, and that they were aiming for a pre-strike production date (which as we all know never materialized, but it probably did nothing to help the bad blood between the productions).Considering that Carnahan wasn't exactly happy with having to compete with Oliver Stone and Antoine Fuqua's Escobar, getting the seal of approval from Escobar's only heir could be what Carnahan needs to trump Stone's project; which is based on the book written by Pablo's brother, called Mi Hermano Pablo. Carnahan has been struggling for years to get his Escobar flick into production so you can see where he is coming from when he shouted "no fair" when multiple projects were being rushed into production. Carnahan has already scored Javier Bardem (though Bardem may bow out because of scheduling conflicts) and Christian Bale for his film which automatically gives it another advantage over the yet-to-be-cast Escobar. Killing Pablo is set for release in 2009 ... if Joe ever gets around to filming it.

[via Filmstalker]

Life used to be much easier. I remember a time when iconic figures would only have two biopics being made about them. Now it's a crazier era, in which a person may have any number of films being made about him or her. Poor Columbus; poor Capote; poor Harvey Milk. I guess none of them were good enough for three biopics. Not like Salvador Dalí, who I already wrote about today (and he seems to have a lot more than three in the works), or Pablo Escobar. According to the New York Times, there's more than just the Joe Carnahan and the Oliver Stone/Antoine Fuqua versions of the drug kingpin's story. Joining them at the American Film Market is another pic, which is to be helmed by Resident Evil: Apocalypse director Alexander Witt. Though he only has one credit to his name as the big man in charge, and it's something as crappy as RE:A, Witt is a true veteran of the industry, having worked as second unit director and DP for many of Jan De Bont and Ridley Scott's films (including this week's new release, American Gangster). Plus, he shot footage for Casino Royale, The Bourne Identity and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. He's even worked for Spielberg and Altman. So, he has to have learned something. Right?

Witt's Escobar project is simply titled Escobar, and is based on original research rather than a book. It has been scripted by Richard Rionda Del Castro (Sid Furie's Partners in Action) and Greg Mellott (Sid Furie's Direct Action, The Rage and American Soldiers), so it's probably fair to assume this one will be more of a low-budget-action-type depiction. Still, Del Castro claims the film has a budget between $22 million and $28 million; he also says his is further into production than the others. We'll see -- let the race to theaters, and our drug-dealer-loving hearts, begin!

You aren't anybody unless you're famous enough for rival biopics. I hope you all celebrated the holiday yesterday by watching both Gérard Depardieu and Georges Corraface in their respective, rival Columbus films. Coming in the future, we may also get competing movies about Harvey Milk, Philip K. Dick, Sammy Davis, Jr. and now Pablo Escobar. We've long followed news regarding Joe Carnahan's movie about the Colombian drug lord, who will be played there by Javier Bardem, but now Variety reports another Escobar pic in the works. This one will be produced by Oliver Stone, directed by Antoine Fuqua and is simply titled Escobar. It's based on the book "Mi Hermano Pablo", written by the cocaine king's brother, Roberto Escobar Gaviria, who worked as accountant and confidant to Pablo.

So, this looks like it will be more of a life-encompassing biopic. It also appears to be going into production ahead of Carnahan's film, Killing Pablo, since Carnahan is first working on White Jazz while Escobar is fully financed and ready to begin shooting in Colombia and Puerto Rico in early 2008. All that needs finishing is the script rewrite, which is being done by David McKenna, who already wrote a bit about Escobar in his screenplay for Blow (he was played by Cliff Curtis). Variety doesn't mention who Stone and Fuqua have or are casting in the title role of their film, which means it may not be secure. I'm sure some people would like to see Adrian Grenier play the part, as he does via his character Vinnie Chase on the show Entourage, but that would actually be a terrible idea. Personally, I'd like them to go back to Curtis, but for a long-term biopic they'll likely want someone younger, as well as someone more familiar to audiences.

I also wish that Stone was directing this himself -- even if he really annoyed the heck out of me recently -- because he seems to know the territory. And because he thanked "Ari Gold" (Jeremy Piven's character on Entourage) when talking to Variety about the project. But he should do just fine overseeing Fuqua's direction, a job he's sharing with former Malcolm in the Middle older brother Justin Berfield, Jason Felts and James Reach.

The Pablo Escobar biopic Killing Pablo has been in the works for ages. Way back in 2003, Joe Carnahan was tapped to adapt Mark Bowden's Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw, and to direct as well. A few years have passed, and now it looks like things are getting a move on. In April, the director told Cinematical that he was "constantly battling" with Javier Bardem to get him to play the big drug man. In June, Bardem talked with Ryan Stewart and seemed a bit apprehensive: "We are still ... he sent me the script. It's something that is in the back of our heads." But now Variety reports that producer Bob Yari is fast-tracking the project, and that Bardem and Christian Bale are set to star.

However, the site describes Bardem as only "slated" to appear. Has he actually, 100% signed on, or do they only expect him to? If he has, Carnahan must have worked through those battles and apprehension. To further confuse things, they also say that Bale is only in talks to play the guy who leads the hunt against the infamous drug cartel leader -- Major Steve Jacoby. At least as far back as July, IMDb has listen the actor as the production's only attached cast.

Whatever the case may be, while Yari is said to be fast-tracking the project now, he's not going crazy. The plan is to shoot next June if SAG agrees on a contract. If not, they'll wait until the strike is over. He says: "This has been a passion project of mine for years, and it will be a tentpole for our company [Yari Film Group]. I have been patient to get this done because I wanted the ideal director and cast. It was worth the wait." Now we'll just have to wait for the strike to determine when the early '90s hunt for Escobar hits the big screen.

When HBO's Entourage decided to spotlight the making of a fictional Aquaman movie with James Cameron directing, everyone immediately began to wonder whether a real Aquaman flick would, um, surface in the near future. But once that storyline crept its way out of the TV show, folks at home and in Hollywood forgot all about the underwater superhero. As of now, a big screen Aquaman movie is not in the works. Ah, but Entourage is once again stirring the pot; this time, Vince and his crew are getting ready to bring their Pablo Escobar biopic, Medellin, to the Cannes Film Festival. Those marketing geniuses over at HBO have even gone so far as to set up a website and trailer for Medellin as if the film was really coming out in theaters. Of course it's not a real film, but, like with Aquaman, will all the buzz generate further interest in a real Pablo Escobar movie?

Actually, one doesn't have to appear out of thin air this time. That's because director Joe Carnahan already has plans to make a Pablo Escobar biopic called Killing Pablo, but whether or not all the necessary ingredients will fall into place following his work on White Jazz remains to be seen. For one, Carnahan's first (and only?) choice to play Escobar, Javier Bardem, would need to be available. Speaking with Cinematical's Ryan Stewart last month, Bardem said that "it's something in the back of our heads. Pablo Escobar is an amazing character to play, because he's bigger than life. He's an amazing character, but Pablo Escobar is somebody that is not that simple." Bardem pretty much mirrored those comments when he spoke to Premiere recently while out promoting Goya's Ghosts: "That project has been around for some years now and we have talked several times," meaning he and Carnahan. "I guess there will come a time when we can agree to do it, because Pablo Escobar is an amazing, amazing character."

Personally, I think that time should come soon. If it was up to Carnahan, I imagine he'd love to shoot Killing Pablo as soon as he's finished with White Jazz. And why not capitalize on all the buzz Entourage is currently producing around the real-life controversial figure? As of now (and according to IMDb), Christian Bale is the only one attached to Killing Pablo. Hopefully Carnahan and Bardem can come to an agreement so we can see an Escobar biopic within the next two years. Hmm, or perhaps they're just waiting to see how the fictional film from Entourage does at Cannes? What say you? Has Entourage piqued your interest in a Pablo Escobar movie?

Back in April, Joe Carnahan told me that Javier Bardem was a "marked man," destined to take on the lead role in his next passion project about the life of Pablo Escobar. "He and I are constantly battling," Carnahan said, "but I'll get him if it's my last ... I'm gonna get him. He knows. He's a marked man, so we're gonna firm it up here soon." In fact, the word is that Carnahan wants to jump directly into Killing Pablo after he finishes shooting White Jazz in early 2008. The sticking point has apparently always been Bardem, who was still haggling with Carnahan over details back in April and, I learned yesterday, is still haggling with him to this day. I had a chance to speak with Bardem at the press junket for Goya's Ghosts, and asked him straight up if he was down for playing Pablo or not. Here's what he had to say about that.

"We are still ... he sent me the script. It's something that is in the back of our heads. Pablo Escobar is an amazing character to play, because he's bigger than life. He's an amazing character, but Pablo Escobar is somebody that is not simple. He has to be written in a very complex way, because he's not only a villain. He did horrible things, but also he was considered a hero somehow in his country, because he brought villages and schools and light to some villages that were totally in misery. Like it or not, that's also Pablo Escobar, and that has to be pictured. That has to be seen, in order to understand why still there are some masses with thousands of people going there to pray for him. He's not only a bad guy. He was, but he's more complex than that. So I would love to work with Joe. I met him several times, and I would be more than pleased to do it. I guess he's also doing some other things, but that will happen." So there you have it.