James Caan had completed filming his role in the Phillip Noyce thriller “Fast Charlie” before his death on Wednesday, Variety has confirmed. The film’s distributor, Screen Media, is eyeing an early 2023 release date for the movie.
“Fast Charlie,” based on Victor Gischler’s novel “Gun Monkeys,” stars Pierce Brosnan as Charlie Swift, a hitman who has been working for his aging mob boss, Stan (Caan), for two decades. After a rival boss attempts to eliminate Stan and his team, Charlie is left on his own to avenge his friend. Morena Baccarin also stars as Marcie, the ex-wife of a murdered mobster who teams up with Charlie on his mission.
As Variety reported, “Fast Charlie” wrapped principal photography in Louisiana earlier this year. The screenplay was written by Lee Goldberg and Richard Wenk.
Caan died on Wednesday at age 82, his family announced Thursday on Twitter. He is best known for his Oscar-nominated performance as Sonny Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather,” which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. Caan’s role as a mob boss in “Fast Charlie” will surely serve as a reminder of his legacy on the gangster movie genre, which included roles in “The Godfather Part II” and the Hugh Grant comedy “Mickey Blue Eyes.”
Caan was also known for his role as novelist Paul Sheldon in the Stephen King thriller “Misery” alongside Kathy Bates, and the Will Ferrell-led holiday comedy “Elf.” Overall, Caan’s career stretched across seven decades, with performances in countless genres and alongside some of the biggest stars in Hollywood.
