Oscar winner Al Pacino has joined the cast of the upcoming thriller, “Captivated.”
Pacino, aged 84, is slated to play the role of Calabrian mafia boss Saro Mammoliti, who kidnapped the grandson of one of the wealthiest men in the world, oil magnate J. Paul Getty, according to Deadline. This new twist on the true crime story will see Pacino’s character put the entire organization in jeopardy when he falls in love with the victim’s mother amid the ransom negotiations.
The legendary actor will be in good company, alongside co-stars Katie Holmes and Toby Kebbell, according to Deadline.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 17: Al Pacino speaks on stage at the “Heat” Premiere during 2022 Tribeca Festival at United Palace Theater on June 17, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 19: Al Pacino attends the premiere of Amazon Prime Video’s “Hunters” at DGA Theater on February 19, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
The International Film Trust is launching “Captivated” at Cannes.
VENICE, ITALY – AUGUST 30: Al Pacino attends ‘The Humbling’ premiere during the 71st Venice Film Festival on August 30, 2014 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 09: Al Pacino attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 09, 2020 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Adding to the intrigue already weaved into the film is the fact that producer Michael Mammoliti is the nephew of the film’s crime boss subject and has been working on the details of the narrative for several years. His relationship to one of the main kidnappers offers a new perspective to the events surrounding the 1973 kidnapping, according to Deadline. (RELATED: Al Pacino Should Get An Award For Worst Presenter After Major Mess-Up)
Mammoliti recalled that his uncle had amorous feelings toward the victim’s mother, Abigail Harris, and is now exploring that narrative to bring it to the big screen for the first time.
The story, minus the Stockholm-style romance, has previously been adapted into the 2017 movie “All the Money in the World” — best known for replacing disgraced star Kevin Spacey with Christopher Plummer after filming had already wrapped — and the 2018 TV series “Trust.” J. Paul Getty ultimately paid the kidnappers $3 million after they mailed his grandson’s severed ear to a newspaper. The younger Getty never recovered from the trauma and went on to suffer a crippling drug and alcohol overdose before dying at the age of 54. Mammoliti was charged with the kidnapping but acquitted, though he later admitted his involvement.
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 13: Al Pacino attends “The Irishman” Photocall during the 63rd BFI London Film Festival at The May Fair Hotel on October 13, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Marsland/WireImage)
Joey Stanton and Nick de Graffenreid are executive producing the project, and principal photography is set to begin in Italy in the winter of 2024.
“Captivated has all the ingredients of a great film, a fantastic script, stellar cast, and visionary director,” Benaroya Pictures CEO and IFT Founder Michael Benaroya said, according to Deadline. “We couldn’t be more excited to have it on our slate.” (RELATED: Al Pacino’s Girlfriend Noor Alfallah Reveals She Faced Life-Threatening Complication While Pregnant With Their Child)
“Our goal is to give a voice to a person who’s had none for 50+ years, and tell a side of this story no one knows,” Mammoliti added, Deadline reported.
In 2017, Michael Mammoliti threatened to sue the production company behind “All the Money in the World,” claiming that the film included serious factual errors and failed to account for Getty’s alleged involvement in his own kidnapping (an aspect of the story that was included in “Trust”), according to Variety.
