THE ICEMAN is the true story of Richard Kuklinski, loving husband, devoted father, ruthless killer. He is believed to have killed 100 people between 1964 and 1986.
The trailer for Ariel Vromen’s The Iceman trailer has been released and based on the sneak peek, it looks to provide both a riveting crime drama for the casual moviegoer crowd as well as a potential awards contender – thanks to the onscreen talent and an engaging true-life story premise.
You can check out the trailer at the top of the page but be warned, it does contain mild SPOILERS – if you’re unfamiliar with Richard Kuklinski.
The Iceman tells the true story of contract killer Kuklinski, who worked for almost two decades between the 60s and 80s, all the while hiding his job from his loving family. Vromen’s Iceman stars Michael Shannon as Kuklinski, who looks perfect for the role with his creepy, mob-inspired visage. He’s joined by Winona Ryder as his wife, Ray Liotta as his handler, and an unrecognizable Chris Evans as his unhinged partner (a role once owned by James Franco).
While not a household name (yet), Shannon is definitely a growing presence in Hollywood – turning in solid performances in Boardwalk Empire, Machine Gun Preacher, and this year’s Premium Rush. Of course, most moviegoers know Shannon as General Zod in Zach Snyder’s upcoming Man of Steel movie. Kuklinkski, who was both a charismatic family man and a brutal hitman, might tease a few of the nuances we can expect to see in Shannon’s interpretation of Zod.
Additionally, viewers might mistake Evans for a Sam Rockwell clone initially – and it’s a great example of the Captain America/Avengers star extending his range beyond the usual “handsome hero” roles.
The period detail from 1964 to 1986 looks great and evokes memories of classics from Goodfellas to Ridley Scott’s American Gangster. With only two other feature credits to his name (Danika and Rx) writer/director Ariel Vromen already looks like one to watch.
Mickey Rourke has also been attached to another version of the Kuklinkski story (based on the Philip Carlo biography, The Ice Man, Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer). However, that film hasn’t made any tangible progress since shooting was set to start in June 2010 but never got off the ground.
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The Iceman just played at Venice and does not have a domestic release date yet.
my man from Boardwalk with the 
face.
