James Gandolfini (The Sopranos) will be joining John Travolta and Denzel Washington in the cast of Tony Scott’s remake of The Taking of Pelham 123. 

The original film involved four armed men led by Mr. Blue who hijack the NY subway train Pelham 1,2,3 and demand $1 million from city officials or a hostage gets killed every minute.  It’s a tense cat and mouse game between the cops and the bad guys in the movie that surely lent inspiration to everything from Reservoir Dogs to Speed.

Gandolfini will play the mayor of New York City who is under incredible pressure to end the hostage crises.  Washington will take on the role of Zachary “Z” Garber, which was played by Walter Matthau in the original 1974 Joseph Sargent helmed film.  Travolta will be playing the part of Mr. Blue which was originated in the 1974 film by Robert Shaw.  The story, based on a novel by John Godey, also spawned a 1998 TV movie starring Edward James Olmos.

This latest incarnation will take place in contemporary New York and is set in motion when four hijackers take over a subway train and hold the passengers for ransom much like the original.

David Koepp, who penned Spider-Man and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull wrote the screenplay.

Movies
David Koepp, Denzel Washington, Edward James Olmos, James Gandolfini, John Godey, John Travolta, Joseph Sargent, Robert Shaw, The Taking of Pelham 123, Tony Scott, Walter Matthau

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