Jared Leto in Talks for JFK Thriller ‘Assassination’

Presenter Jared Leto arrives at The 88th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 28, 2016. Credit/Provider: Phil McCarten / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: Scott Diussa.

Preview:

Jared Leto is nearing a deal to join JFK thriller ‘Assassination.’
Barry Levinson is directing the thriller.
Al Pacino, Jessica Chastain and Brendan Fraser are already in the cast.

Even as Christopher Nolan (for his mysterious new movie) and Steven Spielberg (for his) appear to be vacuuming up all the actors in Hollywood, other projects are still able to snag those remaining.

One example? Barry Levinson’s latest movie, which will dig into the JFK conspiracy from a new perspective.

Titled ‘Assassination,’ the new film (per Deadline) has Oscar winner Jared Leto in talks to snatch one of its lead roles.

What’s the story of ‘Assassination’?

Taking as its inspiration the infamous slaying of President John F. Kennedy in Texas in 1963, ‘Assassination’ will dig into the issue of who truly orchestrated the killing.

The film focuses on ground-breaking female crime reporter Dorothy Kilgallen played by Jessica Chastain.

When she suspects that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone, she uses her fame and influence to find President John F. Kennedy’s real killer. Kilgallen’s journey will put her up against the CIA, mafia bosses and the FBI, all who would love nothing more than to make her and this story disappear.

Levinson has financing for this one and is busy putting the pieces together. He’s looking to start the cameras rolling early next year in Boston.

Who else is in ‘Assassination’?

Oscar® nominee, Al Pacino arrives on the red carpet of The 92nd Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 9, 2020.

In addition to Leto –– assuming he actually locks in his deal –– and Chastain, the cast will include the starry likes of Al Pacino, Brendan Fraser and Bryan Cranston.

And on the creative team front, the script is co-written by David Mamet, who in a rare case of collaboration, worked with Levinson and ‘Elvis’ writer Sam Bromell.

The new movie is produced by Corey Large and Jason Sosnoff, with Large also providing financing. John Burnham, Bernie Gewissler, Pia Patatian and Jordan Nott are the executive producers.

It’s quite a team and sounds intriguing, though it’ll have to go some to compete with the likes of ‘JFK’ and ‘Parkland.’

What else is the ‘Assassination’ cast working on?

Leto is one of the leads in the new ‘Tron’ movie, ‘Tron: Ares,’ which will be in theaters next October.

He’s also attached to be part of the cast for ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ co-director Kemp Powers’ new film ‘Lunik Heist’ and will be seen in Darren Aronofsky’s new horror movie ‘Adrift.’

Bona fide legend Pacino has a number of movies on the way. He’s in the cast for Johnny Depp’s directorial debut, ‘Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness’ and has the likes of ‘The Ritual,’ ‘Killing Castro,’ ‘Hand of Dante,’ ‘Easy’s Waltz’ and ‘Billy Knight’ making their way through post-production.

He’s more personally involved in his next Shakespeare-based film, starring in and producing a new adaptation of ‘King Lear’ called ‘Lear Rex,’ directed by Bernard Rose. That movie should be in theaters later in 2025 and also features Chastain.

Talking of, she’s starring in Michael Franco’s new crime drama pic ‘Dreams’ and is a producer on a variety of other projects, including ‘Losing Clementine’ and ‘Wayland.’

On the TV front, she’s starring in a new series called ‘Savant’ about a deep-cover investigator who infiltrates hate groups and looks to bring down the nation’s most violent men.

Fraser, who scored an Oscar for his performance in ‘The Whale,’ has ‘Rental Family’ on the way and is at work on new World War II drama ‘Pressure,’ in which he plays President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

‘Breaking Bad’ veteran Cranston is keeping busy, with a role on new Seth Rogen comedy TV series ‘The Studio.’

He’ll also be seen in comedy drama movie ‘Everything’s Going to Be Great,’ which will be out next year.

Perhaps most excitingly, he’ll reprise the role of Hal in a limited series revival of sitcom ‘Malcolm in the Middle,’ with co-stars Frankie Muniz and Jane Kaczmarek also returning for a four-episode update of the family’s story from original series creator Linwood Boomer.

The new episodes will appear on Disney+, but a date has yet to be set for that one.

When will ‘Assassination’ be in theaters?

Despite having funding in place and a shoot date, the film is still locking in a distribution home and has yet to secure a release date.

Director Barry Levinson. Photo: Golden Globes.

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