The last time he dabbled in the cinematic drug milieu, Benicio Del Toro appeared in Traffic and came away with an Oscar for his performance. So you can understand why he might be attracted to a part in Oliver Stone’s Savages.
Aaron Johnson and Taylor Kitsch are in talks to play Ben and Chon, two best friends who share an interest in both their lucrative Laguna Beach pot business and in quirky girl Ophelia. But then their happy, stoner-supplying existence is upset by the arrival of brutal drug enforcer Lado (the role Del Toro has his eye on), who bluntly informs them that they’re now employees of his boss, a tough female Mexican cartel boss (Salma Hayek, if she signs on).
And it gets even nastier when they refuse, O is kidnapped and they have to come up with ransom money. But instead of random thievery, they decide instead to steal the cartel’s drug supply, which brings them back to the attention of Lado…
Shane Salerno adapted the script from Don Winslow’s novel, a blend of violence and comedy that is a great read. Here’s hoping the film works as well…