January 15th, 2014 
James Shotwell 
Deadline is reporting that Out Of The Furnace director Scott Cooper is currently in talks to direct and rewrite the big screen adaptation of Black Mass, which tells the story of notorious Boston mobster James “Whitey” Bulger. The film has been rumored and discussed for well over a year at this point, but with Cooper allegedly close to closing a deal it seems things are finally ready to move forward.
As an added treat, Deadline also claims Johnny Depp is once again eyeing the lead role. You may remember hearing a similar story last summer, but Depp reportedly exited the picture after a dispute over money.
James “Whitey” Bulger in his prime
Ben Affleck is currently developing his own Whitey Bulger film, but it’s not hard to understand why other members of the Hollywood elite want to take a stab at the Bulger story. After rising to prominence in the Boston crime scene, Bulger fled New England and avoided custody for over twenty years before being captured, alive, in 2010. His trial flooded headlines throughout 2013, and even now that the verdicts have been handed down there is rarely a week that goes by without something Whitey related splashing across the news tickers nationwide. There is more than enough material here for two films. In fact, I wouldn’t put it past someone like Showtime, AMC, or HBO to license the rights to Whitey’s exploits for a mini-series down the line.
We will bring you more information on Black Mass as soon as things begin to move forward. For now, comment below and let us know whether or not you think Johnny Depp would make a good Bulger.
- 2015’s Most Underrated Films - December 29, 2015
- Passing The Torch: The End Of An Era For UTG - December 1, 2015
- UTG PREMIERE: Before The Streetlights – “Private Browser” - November 26, 2015
Posted in 
Tags: 