The rise and rise of Christopher Storer continues as Deadline reports The Bear creator is set to direct Paramount’s adaptation of the 2006 Don Winslow novel: The Winter of Frankie Machine.
What’s fascinating about this forthcoming project — aside from Storer’s involvement — is its development history.
Prior to being greenlit for its current iteration, The Winter of Frankie Machine was being given the big-screen treatment by none other than crime genre veteran Martin Scorsese and Heat director Michael Mann on two separate occasions.
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Robert De Niro had also committed to taking on the lead role with the screenplay originally handled by Brian Koppelman (Rounders, Ocean’s 13) and Billions creator David Levien. Of course, this all eventually amounted to nada.
Then in 2015, the legendary William Friedkin (The French Connection) signed on to direct his own adaptation with both Matthew McConaughey and Walton Goggins in contention for the lead role. This also eventually led nowhere.
So why all the fuss?
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Winslow’s 2006 novel focuses on Frankie Machianno — a hitman for a mob family based in San Diego who’s forced out of retirement when a crime boss asks him to oversee a meeting between Detroit and Los Angeles crime families.
The titular Frankie Machine quickly realises this “meeting” is nothing more than a set-up to kill him; he needs to “shake off the rust” and figures out who wants him dead before he catches a bullet to the dome.
Keep an eye out here for potential updates on Christopher Storer’s The Winter of Frankie Machine (casting news, release date, trailer, etc.).
Check out the original book synopsis below:
Frank Machianno, a retired San Diego mafia hitman, cut his ties with the Mafia many years ago. However, one day, his past catches up with him as the boss of Los Angeles family calls in for a past favour: Frank must oversee a meeting between the Detroit Combination and the Los Angeles crime family.
Unfortunately, the meeting is revealed to be a set up, a scheme to kill Frankie. Someone from Frank’s past wants him dead, and Frank has to find out why, how, and when.
The problem is that the list of candidates is sizable, and Frankie is rapidly running out of time.
