Los Angeles, Aug 17 (IANS): Robert De Niro is set to offer double bonanza to his fans as he has taken the wise (pun intended) decision to star in a dual role in the upcoming gangster drama 'Wise Guys'.
The movie will be directed by veteran filmmaker Barry Levinson, who is known for 'Rain Man' and 'Wag the Dog', reports Variety.
The film, intended to play in theatres, will be produced by Warner Bros. and will reunite De Niro and Levinson, who previously teamed on 'Wag the Dog,' 'Sleeper,' the HBO series 'The Wizard of Lies' and 'What Just Happened'.
According to Variety' 'Wise Guys' follows Italian American crime bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, who ran their respective families during the 20th century. In 1957, Genovese tried (and failed) to assassinate Costello, who was ultimately injured and attempted to retire from the mafia. De Niro is expected to portray the two main characters.
Nicholas Pileggi, the co-writer of Martin Scorsese's crime epic 'Goodfellas,' which starred De Niro, is penning the screenplay for 'Wise Guys'.
Variety further states that For De Niro, 'Wise Guys' is a return to the genre that turned him into a star. Along with 'Goodfellas', the actor made a name for himself in crime dramas like 'The Godfather Part II,' 'Mean Street' and 'Casino.'