Ever since it was announced, one of the most unexpected (and some would argue, unnecessary) remakes in the works in Hollywood has been Universal's planned new take on ScarfaceThis would, of course, be the third time that the story of Tony Montana was brought to life on the big screen, following Howard Hawkes' 1932 film of the same name, and Brian de Palma's 1983 remake starring Al Pacino. Now, while only true film buffs may be familiar with the 1932 original, many consider the 1983 film to be one of the most best gangsters movies of all time. The 1980s Scarface also features one of Al Pacino's most memorable and celebrated performance.

All of these reasons are why the Scarface remake has come under heavy criticism from both film fans and general moviegoers over the years, even despite having a talented filmmaker like Antoine Fuqua attached to direct it. However, it looks like the new film has both simultaneously made some much-needed progress, and taken a step back in its development process.

Variety is reporting that following Antoine Fuqua's departure as director from the project, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story breakout star, Diego Luna, has officially been cast as the lead of the reboot. The film will be a modern update of the iconic immigrant story told in both of the previous films, and will be based on a script written by Boardwalk Empire creator and The Wolf of Wall Street screenwriter, Terence Winter. Universal is reportedly looking to get production on the remake started sometime this spring.

Al Pacino as Tony Montana with a giant machine gun in Scarface

Just when things were looking down for the Scarface reboot, Universal went ahead and kept progress going with this casting of Luna in the lead role. Following his turn as Cassian Andor in Rogue One late last year, he's currently one of the more sought-after actors working today, making him a big get for the studio for this role. He's also the perfect actor for the reboot's apparently "modern" retelling as well, which is set to take place in Los Angeles rather than Miami, and will focus on a Mexican immigrant this time around.

Normally, Fuqua's departure would have meant bad things for this reboot, what with both Fantastic Beasts director David Yates and Jackie's Pablo Larrain having previously passed on it. But with Luna now attached, the studio should have an easier time finding a replacement for Fuqua, with Universal already reportedly meeting with new filmmakers for the job. So hopefully, with a notable name like Luna attached to it now, this Scarface remake will be able to keep its planned spring start date as a reality. If so, then fans can likely expect to see some more announcements coming from the project sometime within the next couple of months.

We'll keep you posted on the Scarface reboot's development as more details become available.

Source: Variety