I felt a spark the moment I read that Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio are backing a new thriller called Carthage Must Be Destroyed. Not directed by a hotshot auteur this time—but penned and helmed by Ted Griffin, the lean, sly mind behind Ocean’s Eleven. It’s a sharp pivot, and I want to see if that old-school gangland swagger can work in a post-industrial gloom.
“This October, filming kicks off in Rhode Island.”—exact date not yet announced, but it’s officially slated for production this October. Financing’s coming from Verdi Productions and Ketchup Entertainment, with Sikelia (Scorsese), Appian Way (DiCaprio), and LBI rounding it out. Executive producers include Marty and Leo themselves, alongside Lisa Frechette, Sera Verdi, and Jennifer Davisson. On-the-ground production team? Chad Verdi, Gareth West, Chris Donnelly, Michelle Verdi, Chad Verdi Jr. and Paul Luba—one packed room full of energy.
What’s the story? A beaten-down Rust Belt city, overrun by an entrenched crime syndicate. Then a stranger arrives, carving cracks into the underworld’s foundation—“using brain and brawn… sowing distrust and chaos to dismantle the corrupt power structure.” Think Heat meets Fargo, with a dash of The Departed’s DNA—but through Griffin’s lens. I’m already picturing broken streetlamps and silent factories, the nights humid with menace.
Scorsese’s track record with morally ambiguous crime—Goodfellas, Casino—is legendary. DiCaprio’s played enough flawed antiheroes to fill a shelf. But this is Griffin’s show now—and it’s a fresh gamble. He’s got a reputation for tight scripts, layered characters, twisting dynamics. Maybe it’ll feel like Ocean’s Eleven without the polish—more jagged, more real.
Chad A. Verdi calls it “a dynamic project,” praising the collective producing team of “Marty, Leo, Jen, Gareth and Chris” for lifting it “to new heights.” The enthusiasm is contagious—like they’re all leaning in, waiting for that one scene to click and everything comes alive, cameras spinning, adrenaline kicking in.
I’m up for a rugged action piece from Griffin. There’s a hunger for genre cinema that doesn’t spoon-feed but burns its own path. I want to see the casting rolls, see who fills that stranger’s shoes—hard-boiled, clever, maybe a little psychotic.
No word yet on release dates or festival plans. But with production in October, a 2026 festival debut wouldn’t surprise. Until then, we wait—watching for casting announcements, maybe a first look in Cannes or Venice.
🎬 Why Carthage Must Be Destroyed is worth watching
- Scorsese + DiCaprio producing = heavy expectations. They don’t back middling flicks.
- Ted Griffin’s writing brings punch and layers—he’s not just a hired hand, he’s steering this ship.
- Rust‑belt setting isn’t tourist glossy—it’s weathered, tense, fertile ground for gritty storytelling.
- Power vacuum vs. outsider is classic, but if Griffin brings originality, it could crack something wide open.
Final thoughts
I want to see the first still: that stranger’s face half in shadow, factories smoking behind him. That moment when you think, “Oh shit—he’s not here to fix anything. He’s here to burn it all down.” Carthage Must Be Destroyed isn’t just a title—it’s a creed. Vision is intact. Let’s see if reality hits with an explosion.
