Filmmaker Paul Feig is in talks with Paramount Pictures to direct a new version of the 1969 Michael Caine heist classic The Italian Job, which is considered one of the greatest British movies ever made.
A return to the original's humour
The film became particularly iconic thanks to its incredible car chase scenes involving Mini Coopers through the streets of Turin. However, the authorities in Turin refused to close the roads for filming, so the head of car makers Fiat arranged for the Italian Mafia to shut down entire sections of the city, and the massive traffic jams seen in the film are completely real.
The British Motor Corporation (BMC) also refused to donate any Mini Coopers for the movie, even though it ended up boosting demand for the vehicles, so filmmakers had to buy their own.
Previous remake and box office
The Italian Job was last reimagined in 2003 as a more mainstream American action movie starring Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton and Jason Statham. The 2003 film featured Wahlberg as master thief Charlie Croker on a revenge mission to track down a cache of gold, again using Mini Coopers, and made $176 million at the global box office.
Feig's upcoming projects
Feig is best known for helming comedies like Bridesmaids, so the hope is that a new version will bring back a bit more of the humour that made the Caine original cult viewing.
Before the new movie can begin production, Feig's next project is The Housemaid's Secret, a sequel to The Housemaid due in 2027 with Sydney Sweeney. Any Italian Job remake would come after that in 2028 at the earliest.
