Nicolas Cage to Play Al Capone in a Prequel to 1987's The Untouchables

MTV reports that Nicolas Cage will reteam with Snake Eyes director Brian DePalma for The Untouchables: Capone Rising, playing a younger version of the character made famous by Robert DeNiro. Capone Rising is a prequel to DePalma's 1987 classic The Untouchables, and will revolve around the early dealings between Capone and Irish cop Jimmy Malone, a role that garnered an Oscar for Sean Connery.

Principal photography on the high-profile flick will begin in October, some 21 years after its predecessor was filmed. No word yet on whether the temporary Capone Rising title will be scrapped, following the chilly response audiences gave to February's Hannibal Rising prequel.

Based on the classic 50's/60's TV drama, The Untouchables was a box-office and critical smash that announced Kevin Costner as a leading man, re-launched the career of Connery, and solidified DeNiro's on-screen tough-guy persona.

According to MTV, rumors continue to swirl that Sean Penn or Colin Farrell will be cast as the younger Connery.