According to an exclusive report from Deadline, Disney is nearing a deal for a new Hawaii-set based crime drama directed by Martin Scorsese, that would star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Leonardo DiCaprio and Emily Blunt.
The script, written by Nick Bilton, focuses on a turbulent time on the island of paradise when the aspiring mob boss battled elements like triads and U.S. military to wrest control. It was a bloody battle. It is said the main character is based on Wilford “Nappy” Pulawa, who led the largest organized crime syndicate on the Hawaiian Islands, The Company. The script has been described as “Goodfellas” meets “The Departed.”
The report also notes that based on real-life events, the film would mainly focus on The Company’s rackets included gambling, human trafficking, marijuana trafficking and labor corruption. Pulawa was charged with two murders and was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for tax evasion in 1973. He reputedly continued to run the syndicate from his cell in prison before his release in 1984. In 1975, Nevada barred him for life from entering any and all of the state’s casinos.