‘Dead Man’s Wire’: Al Pacino to Star in a New Hostage Crisis Thriller!!

Two icons are coming together all for the good of a new thriller flick, with news coming today that Al Pacino (Heat) is the latest name to be joining Gus Van Sant’s Dead Man’s Wire. The legendary actor and filmmaker have never worked together, so this will be one for the books. As of right now, character details surrounding Pacino’s casting haven’t been released, but he’s the latest star to join the ever-growing lineup of talent for the helmer’s first movie in nearly a decade. Also included on the call sheet are the likes of Bill Skarsgård (Nosferatu), Dacre Montgomery (Stranger Things), Colman Domingo (Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man), Myha’la (Leave the World Behind) and Cary Elwes (Robin Hood: Men in Tights).

From the film’s synopsis, it sounds like audiences will be in for a pulse-pounding experience — with Pacino adding yet another action-packed title akin to favorites like Michael Mann’s Heat and Sidney Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon. As per the logline:

“The morning of February 8, 1977, Anthony G. “Tony” Kiritsis, 44, entered the office of Richard O. Hall, president of the Meridian Mortgage Company, and took him hostage with a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun wired with a “dead man’s wire” from the trigger to Tony’s own neck. This is the true story of the stand-off that took the world by storm as Tony demanded $5 million, no charges or prosecution, and a personal apology from the Halls for cheating him out of what he was “owed.”

‘Dead Man’s Wire’ Is One of Many Al Pacino Projects in the Works

Considering how long Pacino has been in the film industry, one might think he’d like to call it quits, hit the beach, and enjoy retirement. But, that couldn’t be further from the actor’s mind, as he’s stayed relatively busy in the years since his breakout roles in favorites like The Panic in Needle Park and, of course, The Godfather. Over the last few years, the famed performer has appeared in titles including House of Gucci, Knox Goes Away, and Modì, Three Days on the Wings of Madness, with the arrival of his religious horror flick, David Midell’s The Ritual, just around the corner. Beyond that, Pacino is set to join the call sheet in Julian Schnabel’s drama, In the Hand of Dante, as well as Bernard Rose’s Lear Rex — an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s King Lear.