Gandolfini, Washington, Travolta to star in Pelham 123

James Gandolfini, Denzel Washington and John Travolta have signed on to star in the upcoming Columbia Pictures film The Taking of Pelham 123, Variety reports.

Action movie aficionado Tony Scott (Top Gun, Man on Fire) will direct the film, which is a remake of the 1978 thriller starring Walter Matthau. Washington will play a transit cop forced to go head-to-head with a group of hijackers who hold a packed subway car ransom. Travolta will play the gang’s leader, and Gandolfini's casting as the mayor of New York City was announced only yesterday.

Fresh off of his Golden Globe win for his work on the final season of HBO’s The Sopranos, Gandolfini has signed on to a number of new projects. He recently finished shooting his role in Spike Jonze’s upcoming adaptation of children’s favorite Where the Wild Things Are, and inked a deal with HBO to play grassroots basketball camp founder Sonny Vaccaro in the film ABCD Camp.

Gandolfini’s Attaboy Films also has several projects in development, including an untitled drama in which the actor will portray famed author Ernest Hemingway. Gandolfini and his Attaboy partner Alexandra Ryan will also be producing ABCD Camp.

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