James Caan finished filming 'Fast Charlie' before his death

WASHINGTON: Veteran actor James Caan had finished filming his role in Phillip Noyce's thriller 'Fast Charlie' before his death on Wednesday. The film's distributor, Screen Media, is targeting an early 2023 release date for the film. As Variety reported, 'Fast Charlie' wrapped principal photography in Louisiana earlier this year. The screenplay was written by Lee Goldberg and Richard Wenk.

Based on Victor Gischler's novel Gun Monkeys, 'Fast Charlie' stars Pierce Brosnan as Charlie Swift, a hitman who has been working for his elderly crime boss Stan (Caan) for two decades. After a rival boss tries to take out Stan and his team, Charlie is left alone to avenge his friend. Morena Baccarin also plays Marcie, the ex-wife of a murdered gangster who joins Charlie on his mission. Caan died on Wednesday at the age of 82, as announced by his family on Twitter on Thursday.

He is best known for his Oscar-nominated role as Sonny Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola's 'The Godfather,' which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. As per Variety, Caan's role as a mob boss in 'Fast Charlie' will surely serve as a reminder of his legacy in the gangster movie genre, which included roles in 'The Godfather Part II' and the Hugh Grant comedy 'Mickey Blue Eyes'. Caan was also known for his role as novelist Paul Sheldon in the Stephen King thriller 'Misery', opposite Kathy Bates, and in the Christmas comedy 'Elf', directed by Will Ferrell. Caan's career spanned seven decades, performing in countless genres and alongside some of Hollywood's biggest stars.