“More people in my life reached out about this exact thing than anything else that has ever happened,” the actor said
Would Dave Franco embody Luigi Mangione onscreen? It’s a question a lot of people online having been asking since Mangione was arrested and charged with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year.
Franco responded to the speculation during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live!, saying he’s “open” to the possibility. A fan asked Franco if he would want to play Mangione in a biopic if it was offered to him and, after initially hesitating, the actor agreed.
“How do I answer this?” Franco responded. “No one has approached me about it yet, I’ll say that. This is something that—more people in my life reached out about this exact thing than anything else that has ever happened. So let’s just say I’m open if it’s the right people and let’s leave it at that.”
In April, Mangione was indicted on two counts of stalking, a firearms offense, and murder via use of a firearm. The federal murder charge would make Mangione eligible for the death penalty if convicted. Attorney General Pam Bondi directed prosecutors to seek the death penalty against Mangione earlier this month after the 26-year-old was charged with murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December. Mangione’s legal team, led by Karen Friedman Agnifilo, responded in a statement, calling the decision “barbaric.”
In May, Mangione’s legal team filed a motion to dismiss the New York state murder charges against him in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, arguing that the cases against the suspect amount to double jeopardy.
Mangione is currently being held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. He is the lead suspect in the murder of Thompson, which occurred on Dec. 4. Mangione is also facing state charges in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where he was arrested. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges across the three cases.
Franco is currently starring in horror movie Together alongside his wife Alison Brie.
