EXCLUSIVE: Antoine Fuqua, whose upcoming Western The Magnificent Seven will serve as the Gala Opening Night Film of the Toronto Film Festival next month, is in talks with Universal to direct a re-imagining of another screen classic. He’s negotiating to direct Scarface, the third iteration of the crime classic that Universal made in 1932 with director Howard Hawks and star Paul Muni and again in 1983 with director Brian De Palma and Al Pacino.

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The new one borrows the immigrant rags-to-riches story but presents it in contemporary Los Angeles. Jonathan Herman wrote the most recent draft, and Paul Attanasio and David Ayer wrote previous versions. The film is a Bluegrass Films and Global Produce production. The film will be produced by Marc Shmuger, Scott Stuber and Dylan Clark. Marty Bregman, producer of the 1983 Scarface film, also will produce.

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Fuqua, who has covered crime in several iterations including Training Day, The Equalizer and the upcoming Magnificent Seven, seems a strong match for the material. The project has been a priority for Universal.

Fuqua’s Magnificent Seven, a co-production between MGM and Sony Pictures, will be released by the latter on September 23. The film stars Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Haley Bennett and Peter Sarsgaard. Universal exec veep Jon Mone and veep Jay Polidoro will oversee for the studio. Fuqua is repped by CAA and Ziffren Brittenham.