Of the many things to love abut AMC’sBreaking Bad, the boost its given to the career to the greatGiancarlo Espositomight be my personal favorite, even aboveBetter Call Saul.
In the 1990s, Esposito appeared in numerous estimable projects, ranging fromBob RobertsandKing of New YorktoNight on EarthandThe Usual Suspects, and also found himself an axiom in the works ofSpike Lee, including memorable turns inMalcolm XandMo' Better Blues.
Since then, he’s appeared in plenty of remarkable projects, includingMichael Mann’sAliandSherrybaby, and has moved nicely into a regular presence on television, which led to him being cast as Gustavo Fring, arguably the arch-nemesis of Walter White, onBreaking Bad.
Since his excellent work on the AMC crime series, Esposito has taken roles in theMaze Runnerfranchise,Jodie Foster’sMoney Monster,James Franco’sThe Long Home, andBaz Luhrman’s upcoming Netflix seriesThe Get Down.
And now, asTHR reports, he’s adding his name to one of the most anticipated films currently on the docket, namelyOkja, the new monster movie from the masterfulBong Joon-ho, the South Korean helmer behind new classics likeThe Host,Snowpiercer, and the undervaluedMother.
The project has been piling up on cast members, which makes one wonder how Joon-ho will structure the story, which has yet to be detailed beyond the fact that it involves a big monster.
Image via Sony Pictures
And honestly, with Joon-ho behind the camera and the likes ofJake Gyllenhaal,Tilda Swinton,Paul Dano,Steven Yeun,Lily Collins, and now Esposito in front, that’s all I need to know for now.
It’s easily the most anticipated film on Netflix’s movie docket, withAdam Wingard’s hugely promising adaptation of the Japanese seriesDeath Noterunning a close second in front ofAngelina Jolie’s next film and whatever the hellAdam Sandleris doing with his SNL friends next year.
Esposito certainly isn’t the biggest name in the bunch, but he has undeniable presence, which is required in Joon-ho’s thoughtful spectacles.
Image via Sony Pictures
