This Scarface remake could’ve been iconic – Now I know why the epic remake crashed before it could kill

Scarface is a film that does not need any explanation. This crime drama film gave the genre a new life. Written by Oliver Stone and directed by Brian De Palma, the film was released on December 9, 1983. It's a remake of the namesake 1932 title, which itself was adapted from a 1930 book. Here's the official synopsis:

In the 1980s, a determined criminal-minded Cuban immigrant becomes the biggest drug smuggler in Miami, and is eventually undone by his own drug addiction.

I recently found out that at one point, the Coen brothers joined hands with Luca Guadagnino, but it did not materialize.

Coen brothers once wanted to remake Scarface

The story of Scarface is such that, once in every generation, filmmakers want to tell it in their own way. There was a time when the Coen brothers were planning to remake the Al Pacino starrer and had teamed up with Luca Guadagnino. The latter is known for helming titles like Call Me By Your Name and We Are Who We Are.

The project was first announced in 2020 and reportedly made his fans very excited. However, in 2023, the director revealed that he is not doing it. But he did not delve into the reasons, and so far, he has not spoken about why he stepped away. At the 77th Venice Film Festival, he revealed that Scarface was bigger than De Palma, Howard Hawks (director of the first film), and himself. Guadagnino stated that he wanted to focus on the character and the true meaning of the American dream.

The story has continued to intrigue makers and several other directors before Guadagnino have also tried to tell their version of Scarface. This includes David Ayer, David Yates, Antoine Fuqua, and Pablo Larrain, among others. But the Coens have reportedly not given up on the project, so we might see a new edition in the future.

I feel the reason the remake crashed before it could be killed was possibly because of budget issues. The industry has changed a lot since the Al Pacino starrer came out in the 1980s. Studios have been tightening budgets, and we have seen how some complete films were also shelved (ex, Batgirl). It's possible that budgetary issues and or creative conflicts with the Coens might have made him to take a step back.

Because it's a large-scale story involving gangsters and a city's story along with America's changing landscape, it requires a certain number to pull off. We can hope that someday we will get to see a 21st-century version of Scarface as the story is as relevant as it was in the 1930s.

The 1983 film is about Tony Montana, who is a Cuban refugee and arrives in Miami. He works his way up to become a drug lord. Here's a list of its cast members: