Without a doubt, GOODFELLAS ranks up there as one of the best mobster flicks ever to hit the big screens. With its engaging story, gritty realism, and incredibly off-kilter — characters, it manages to hold up as an entertaining classic of cinema. Of course, the film was directed by filmmaking master Martin Scorsese, who has re-visited the mob film a few times since GOODFELLAS.

Scorsese is once again returning to the genre with the upcoming film THE IRISHMAN, which just locked down STX as the movie’s international distributor. The movie is written by GANGS OF NEW YORK writer Steve Zaillian, and is set to star Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino — two more all-time greats.

One of the big questions, however, is whether or not Joe Pesci will be in the film. Pesci won an Oscar for his role in 1990s GOODFELLAS, but despite that, he’s kept his number of roles in movies relatively low, and has only acted once since 2010. As such, it would normally be assumed that the actor would not be in the film, but according to the THR report, Scorsese remains hopeful that Pesci will hop on board the project, despite already saying no.

THE IRISHMAN will tell the true story of Frank Sheeran (played by DeNiro), a “high-ranking Teamster with ties to the Bufalino crime family.” Before his death, the man also confessed to killing fellow Teamster Jimmy Hoffa, whose body was never found, and he also claimed to have been involved in the JFK assassination. We’ll have to wait and see just how much the film delves into those topics.

What do you think of THE IRISHMAN? Should this film be the one to take Pesci out of retirement? Let us know in the comments down below!

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SOURCE: THR