In September we reported that Mickey Rourke had been cast as hit man Richard Kuklinski in an adaptation of Philip Carlo’s The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer.

Now comes news, via Production Weekly, that James Franco, Michael Shannon and Benicio Del Toro have signed on for The Iceman… a completely different film to be directed by Ariel Vromen!

Kuklinski’s story has been told twice before in HBO specials; one in 1991 and the other in 2001. His tale is wild and at times unbelievable, which is perfect for a  Hollywood interpretation, but to have dueling projects? Both titles have been in development for a while, so the fact that they are both assembling casts at the same time means this is likely to get even more confusing as the productions move forward.

[CHAOSSHALLRULETHEISLAND]

At some point, one of these properties is going to have to change its name, but for now here is where we stand:

The Ice Man – starring Mickey Rourke.
The Iceman – starring Michael Shannon, James Franco and Benicio Del Toro.