Hot off the success of “The Housemaid,” Paul Feig is in early talks with Paramount to direct a sequel to 2003 heist film “The Italian Job,” sources with knowledge of the project have told TheWrap.
Directed by F. Gary Gray and starring Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron and Edward Norton, “The Italian Job” was inspired by a 1969 comedy starring Michael Caine but with its own action-packed take. The film follows a team of thieves who plan to get revenge on a former member who betrayed them and steal back $35 million in gold they stole from a Venice vault.
The film is famous for a climactic chase scene involving three souped-up Mini Coopers that weave through the streets of Los Angeles and across the concrete of the L.A. River. “The Italian Job” was a decent box office success, grossing $176 million worldwide against a $60 million budget.
Paramount’s planned sequel currently has no talent attached, but if it gets off the ground it won’t be the only heist film to join the studio’s slate. Following Paramount’s acquisition by Skydance last year, the motion picture group’s new leadership, helmed by Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, announced the motorcycle crime film “High Side” starring Timothée Chalamet and directed by James Mangold as their first greenlit project.
Fresh off “The Housemaid,” which made $400 million worldwide this past winter, Feig is currently at Lionsgate working on a sequel, “The Housemaid’s Secret,” based on the novel of the same name by Freida McFadden. That movie is set for release on Dec. 17, 2027.
Feig is repped by CAA and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. The talks were first reported by Deadline.
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