Michael Hoffman to Direct Coen Brothers-scripted Remake of GAMBIT; Scheduled to Shoot in May

Director Michael Hoffman (The Last Station) has signed on to helm the Coen Brothers-penned remake of the 1966 British caper comedy Gambit.  According to Deadline, the project has finally found funding from upstart company Crime Scene Pictures, and is planning to begin shooting in London in May.  Casting is expected to begin shortly.

The original film starred Michael Caine as cat burglar who tries to rob a billionaire of his priceless statue and enlists the help of a waitress (Shirley MacLaine) who is a dead ringer for the victim’s late wife. While the burglar has carefully planned the job in his head, the execution is complicated by his relationship with his pretty accomplice.