Director Martin Scorsese and screenwriter William Monahan ("The Departed") will team up again on a remake of the 1974 Paramount Pictures production "The Gambler", for original "Gambler" producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff.
Scorsese wants actor Leonardo DiCaprio to star as an English professor with a gambling addiction.
The original "The Gambler" motion picture, written by James Toback ("Fingers") and directed by Karel Reisz, was loosely based on the novel "The Gambler" by author Fyodor Dostoyevsky, filmed at a time when leading actor Caan was battling his own addiction to hard drugs.
"...'Axel Freed' is a New York City English professor with a gambling addiction that begins to spiral out of control. In the classroom, Freed inspires his college students with his interpretations of classic author Dostoevsky's work. In his personal life, Freed has the affection of the beautiful 'Billie' and the admiration of his family, including his doctor mother 'Naomi' and a wealthy grandfather.
"Freed's reckless gambling on basketball games has left him with a huge debt, with the bookie 'Hips', threatening grave consequences if the money isn't paid on time.
"Freed's descent into addiction requires him to extort a hefty $44,000 from his mother to repay what he owes. Then he goes away with Billie to a casino where he makes a small fortune, only to blow it all again on basketball bets. He takes out his anger on Billie, who does not appreciate having loan sharks come to their apartment in the middle of the night. Expecting help from his grandfather, Freed gets nothing but the older man's disappointment.
"The only solution left is to lure one of his students, a basketball star, into accepting a bribe to shave points in a game so Freed can finally pay off his debts..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "The Gambler"...
