Here’s a project that has the makings of a really good film, and it’s one with legitimate talent attached, on and off the screen.
“City on Fire” will be an adaptation of Don Winslow’s excellent 2022 crime novel. Austin Butler (”Elvis”) signed on to star in Justin Kuritzkes’ adaptation, which we’ve now learned will be directed by Matt Ross (via Deadline).
Ross is best known for the 2016 Sundance hit “Captain Fantastic,” which had also been selected for Cannes,and while that film leaned more indie-family-drama, sources say he’s been itching to get back behind the camera with something darker, more muscular. This could be it.
“City on Fire” is the first book in Winslow’s recent crime trilogy, a modern reimagining of Homeric epics told via the bloody turf wars of 1980s Rhode Island. Think The Iliad by way of “The Godfather.” Butler will reportedly play Danny Ryan, the reluctant Irish mobster at the heart of the story, whose life is upended when a war ignites between Irish and Italian crime syndicates.
The role calls for both brooding introspection and hard-boiled intensity—something Butler’s been leaning into lately. Considering Butler’s demanding schedule, producers on the film made it a “priority” in recent months to secure the ideal director and ensure the project was ready to move forward as soon as Butler’s availability permits.
Kuritzkes, who is coming off Guadagnino’s “Challengers” and “Queer,” wrote a script that’s said to be closely aligned with the novel’s tragic structure and character-driven arc, with a hard-R tone and a street-level sense of realism.
No word yet on who’s playing the Italian antagonist, but casting is reportedly underway. If this lands right, it could be the beginning of a crime trilogy. This one’s definitely on our radar.
The film is set to shoot in fall 2027. The idea would be to release it in December 2028, timed to Trump's exit from office. Oh, and it's now Warner Bros.' indie label, Clockwork, that's backing the film.