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Michael Mann Mulls Criminal 'Big Tuna' or Medieval 'Agincourt'

by Ethan Anderton
October 25, 2010
Source: Deadline

Since he's been quite engulfed in crime drama with Heat, Public Enemies and Miami Vice, it's easy to forget that director Michael Mann also once helmed the epic war drama The Last of the Mohicans. Now it looks like the filmmaker is looking at a possible return to both types of features as Deadline reports Mann is in the midst of considering directing two very different projects. In an interview on Financial Times, the director revealed he is mulling between directing the medieval European tale Agincourt or the Chicago based crime drama Big Tuna. Keep reading for more details on both of these potential directing gigs for Michael Mann.

For the medieval Agincourt, the project is based on Bernard Cornwell's novel of the same name which follows the build-up to the famous 15th century battle between England and France which was immortalized in Shakespeare's Henry V. Here's the story Cornwell's novel tells:

Young Nicholas Hook is dogged by a cursed past--haunted by what he has failed to do and banished for what he has done. A wanted man in England, he is driven to fight as a mercenary archer in France, where he finds two things he can love: his instincts as a fighting man, and a girl in trouble. Together they survive the notorious massacre at Soissons, an event that shocks all Christendom. With no options left, Hook heads home to England, where his capture means certain death. Instead he is discovered by the young King of England--Henry V himself--and by royal command he takes up the longbow again and dons the cross of Saint George. Hook returns to France as part of the superb army Henry leads in his quest to claim the French crown. But after the English campaign suffers devastating early losses, it becomes clear that Hook and his fellow archers are their king's last resort in a desperate fight against an enemy more daunting than they could ever have imagined.

Sounds quite different than anything Mann has done since Last of the Mohicans, so I'm certainly interested. Of course, it's hard to turn down Mann's gritty and realistic approach to organized crime. Big Tuna is supposed to tell the story of Tony Accardo, a man who rose from small-time hoodlum to being the big boss of the Chicago Outfit criminal organization around 1943, and Sam Giancana, the successor to Accardo's criminal throne. Though I wasn't thoroughly impressed with Public Enemies, it'd be nice to see a Midwest grown filmmaker like Mann tackle a prominent figure in Chicago's organized crime circuit back in the day. What do you guys think?

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