Coming off a shotgun-wielding turn in Tim Burton’s “Dark Shadows,” Michelle Pfeiffer is in negotiations to play another tough mother in Luc Besson’s darkly comedic actioner “Malavita,” which stars Robert De Niro.
Pic is the first in a new co-production and co-financing deal between Relativity Media and Besson’s EuropaCorp.
Based on Tonino Benacquista’s book “Badfellas,” story follows a notorious mafia family relocated to France under the witness protection program. While they do their best to fit in, old habits die hard and they soon find themselves handling things the “family” way. Pfeiffer will play De Niro’s wife who has a penchant for arson when crossed.
Besson adapted the script with Michael Caleo (“The Sopranos”), and he’ll also produce the pic, which starts production in August in advance of a 2013 bow.
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Other pic in the Relativity-EuropaCorp deal is actioner “Three Days to Kill,” written by Besson and Adi Hasak.
Pfeiffer and De Niro previously shared the screen in Matthew Vaughn’s “Stardust” and Garry Marshall’s “New Year’s Eve.” A three-time Oscar nominee, Pfeiffer will next be seen in DreamWorks’ drama “People Like Us,” which opens June 29.
Pfeiffer is repped by CAA, Management 360 and attorney Barry Hirsch.
