After playing a master thief in Ocean's Twelve, Vincent Cassel has obviously developed a taste for the life of a criminal genius. He has now signed on to play real-life robber Jacques Mesrine in two French films, Death Instinct and Public Enemy Number One.
Based on the life of a thief known for his clever disguises, womanising and audacious bank robberies and jail breaks, Mesrine became a legend in his own lifetime, wearing designer clothes and displaying unfailing courtesy to his victims. He carried out daring heists through France and Canada, before dying at the hands of the French police in 1979, at the age of 42.
The film was announced at Cannes last year, and is to be directed by Jean-Francois Richet (this year's **Assault On Precinct 13 **remake) with a script by Abdel Raouf Dafri. It will start shooting next summer.