Sergio Leone & Clint Eastwood Classic ‘A Fistful Of Dollars’ Getting Remake From Hollywood & Italian Industry Vets

DEADLINE

By Andreas Wiseman

July 9, 2024

[Clint Eastwood, US actor, smoking a cigar, wearing a brown hat and poncho in a publicity portrait issued for the film, 'A Fistful of Dollars', Spain, 1964. The Spaghetti western, directed by Sergio Leone (1929-1989), starred Eastwood as 'The Man with No Name']

EXCLUSIVE: Saddle up! One of the great westerns is getting a remake.

Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood classic A Fistful Of Dollars is set for a movie remake from Euro Gang Entertainment, the company founded by Hollywood vet Gianni Nunnari (300) and Simon Horsman (Magazine Dreams), alongside Italian production vet Enzo Sisti (Ripley) of FPC, and Rome-based Jolly Film, which produced the original movie.

Hit western A Fistful of Dollars is the story of a wandering gunfighter with no name who plays two rival families against each other in a town torn apart by greed, pride, and revenge.

The film, released in the mid ’60s, helped launch the “spaghetti western” genre and Eastwood’s career (and others including that of composer Ennio Morricone). Its huge success spawned two more films in an iconic trilogy also comprising For a Few Dollars More and The Good the Bad and the Ugly, all starring Eastwood. The original has been identified as an unofficial remake of the Japanese classic Yojimbo (the similarity in material resulted in a successful lawsuit by producer Toho).

It’s still early in the process so production details are under wraps for now. This would most likely be English-language but that hasn’t been confirmed by the team and a writer, start date and cast have yet to be revealed. There hasn’t been a significant remake of the original movie to date but four years ago we did report on a Mark Gordon TV version being in development. That one didn’t come to fruition.

Italy-born Nunnari was an exec producer on The Departed and Se7en and head of Cecchi Gori Pictures in the U.S. He has produced movies including the 300 franchise, Immortals, and From Dusk Til Dawn. Horsman was producer on projects including Hulu’s Legacy: The True Story Of The LA Lakers, as well as movies Magazine Dreams, and Rob Peace, directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor.

A prolific and respected executive producer and line producer based in Italy, Sisti has worked on hits including Anthony Minghella’s The Talented Mr. Ripley, Best Picture winner The English Patient, Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, and Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic. Most recently, he produced Netflix series Ripley, starring Andrew Scott and was an executive producer on Equalizer III with Denzel Washington. 

Euro Gang and Sisti most recently collaborated on Roland Emmerich’s upcoming mega-budget gladiator TV series Those About To Die.

Guendalina Ponti of Rome-based Ponti, De Sanctis & Partners, advised both Euro Gang Entertainment and FPC on the Fistful Of Dollars deal. 

Sisti said: “I am delighted to partner with Gianni again having just worked with him on Those About to Die, and with Simon on the remake of this classic film, which created a whole new sub-genre in film spawning over 500 European westerns.”

Nunnari and Horsman added: “Enzo is one of the most experienced producers in the film business, and we are fortunate to call him our partner on this incredible project. We are determined to produce a remake that does justice to the great Sergio Leone’s classic.”