ROTTEN TOMATOES: Don Cheadle to Become an "American Gangster"

Don Cheadle to Become an "American Gangster"

by Scott Weinberg | June 02, 2005

Originally set to star Denzel Washington, "American Gangster" will most likely go into production with Don Cheadle ("Hotel Rwanda") in the lead role. Screenwriter Steve Zaillian ("Searching for Bobby Fischer") wrote the original screenplay, and "Rwanda" director Terry George is presently reworking the script.

Cheadle won't be "officially" offered the role until the script polishes are complete, but all parties seem confident that "American Gangster" is finally getting ready to roll. According to Variety, "Cheadle would play Frank Lucas, a Harlem heroin kingpin in the 1970s who, after he was brought to justice, helped end the corruption and legal loopholes that allowed him to import the drug from Southeast Asia."

The film was previously set to begin production some time ago, but had to be delayed for budgetary reasons.

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(1-3 of 3 posts) | Reply

new_school_critic writes:
on Jun 03 2005 12:07 AM

I'm liking it already....Don Cheadle inpresses me more and more with every movie he comes out with...and that's alot of movies.

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Madman writes:
on Jun 03 2005 10:41 AM

Cheadle is by far one af the best actors working today. It's ironic that he got this role though. Just a few weeks ago he did an interview for NOW magazine here in Toronto where he aid somethign along the lines of "Well being a black actor is hard to get work even if you have been nominated for an oscar. Firstly there's Denzel who will get everythign offered to him first and then there's Foxx who is the in man right now" He went on to say that he thinks that they are both great actors and everythign; it was more of a comment on hollywood then a lash out aginst them. Here he is a couple of weeks later getting a role that Washington turned down first. Ironic.

Madman

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BourneFan10 writes:
on Jun 04 2005 02:28 PM

In reply to this comment (#822683)
It probably helps that he's infinitely cheaper than either Washington or Fox. But, I think he's be perfect in this role, maybe because, even tho he's been in a couple of high-visibility movies, he isn't as high visibility as Denzel and Jamie. Good luck to him.

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