Apparently, this project is still on track.
Emily Blunt recently spoke about Martin Scorsese’s anticipated Hawaiian crime film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Dwayne Johnson, confirming that the project is indeed moving forward.
Already being described as a mix of “Goodfellas” and “The Departed”—but set in Hawaii—the film will place Johnson at its center, with Blunt taking on the lead female role alongside him.
“We’re developing the film right now. It’s truly an astonishing story. It’s the last great American mob story. I can’t believe it hasn’t been told yet. It’s a terribly exciting role for Dwayne to dig into. It’s being written. We’re working on it,” Blunt tells Deadline.
The story draws inspiration from the rise of the Hawaiian crime syndicate known as The Company, led in the 1960s and ’70s by Wilford “Nappy” Pulawa, a role Johnson is set to portray. Details on DiCaprio’s role have not yet been revealed.
Produced by 20th Century for Disney with a $200 million budget, the film is being co-written by journalist Nick Bilton and Johnson himself. Johnson had previously mentioned a 2026 start date for filming, but with Scorsese now scheduled to shoot “What Happens at Night” early next year, this Hawaiian crime drama likely won’t begin production until afterward.
“This isn’t just a gangster story—it’s about power, identity, and what was taken from the Hawaiian people,” Johnson explained in a statement. He and Bilton have acquired a trove of documents that will shed new light on Pulawa’s life and legacy. “There are many months of work ahead of us,” Johnson added.
If Scorsese doesn’t move forward with any other projects post-“What Happens at Night,” Johnson’s Hawaii-set film will likely be his next major release. While there’s still a small chance he could tackle one of his smaller-scale projects in development, like “Home” or “The Life of Jesus,” Disney’s full commitment, and Blunt’s comments, suggest this movie could very well happen.