Now You See Me actor, Dave Franco, has been swamped by his fans, friends, and family with just one request since the beginning of the year – to play Luigi Mangione in a biopic.
The 40-year-old actor, who broke out in Hollywood through projects like Scrubs and 21 Jump Street, spoke about the issue on an episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen and whether he would actually consider an offer to do the role:
No one [from Hollywood] has approached me about it yet, I’ll say 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.
However, one needs to consider the feasibility of such a project. Though Dave Franco would be a wonderful choice, his age makes him an inapt candidate for the biopic. If the project gets greenlit, the time it would take for Hollywood to get things moving in development and pre-production stages, Franco would easily be in his mid to late-40s by the time filming began.
Why is Luigi Mangione Hollywood’s New Hot Topic?
On 4 December 2024, Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed in New York City. The incident precipitated a five-day nationwide manhunt, ending with the arrest of an Ivy-educated 26-year-old Luigi Mangione. His backpack (which he disposed of earlier) included a gun, ammunition, fake ID, passport, cash, and a letter addressed to the FBI.
Soon after, the killing incited a momentous rally in favor of Mangione, who was being painted as a symbol of rebellion against capitalism and the increased cost of US healthcare, with more people denouncing big-pharma healthcare companies. The highly politicized debate elevated Mangione into a people’s champion in the public perception.
Hollywood has always been a sucker for underdog stories that pit David against Goliath. Films like The Green Mile and Shawshank Redemption revolve around such prison tales based on characters people sympathize with and empathize with. Though the issue may be raw, divisive, and politically contentious right now, a biopic on Luigi Mangione is inevitable. After all, Hulu has already released a docudrama on the subject.
[Note: The Fifth Estate, Snowden, and The Dropout were also politically charged and divisive issues that were later adapted into biographical dramas.]
On 16th September 2025, the New York Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro, who is overseeing the case against Mangione, dismissed two state terrorism charges against him, citing that “the evidence put forth was legally insufficient.” [NY Courts]
Counts one and two, charging defendant with murder in the first degree (in furtherance of an act of terrorism) and murder in the second degree as a crime of terrorism, are dismissed as legally insufficient.
However, Mangione will still be prosecuted on nine other counts, including an additional second-degree murder charge, a federal murder charge, and weapons possession charges.
Our Top 5 Actor Picks For a Luigi Mangione Movie
With Dave Franco being too old to accurately portray Mangione in a biopic role, here are our five other picks of actors who bear a physical resemblance and are closer to Mangione’s age:
Darren Barnet (34): The actor gained prominence through the Netflix teen comedy drama, Never Have I Ever, before going on to appear in the blockbuster rom-com, Anyone But You, as Sydney Sweeney‘s love interest. Although a bit on the older side, Barnet looks the most similar to Luigi Mangione out of everyone in the list.
Noah Centineo (29): After his breakout role in the Netflix rom-com film series, To All the Boys, Centineo appeared in the DCEU film, Black Adam, with Dwayne Johnson and the sensational spy thriller, The Recruit. Centineo will appear in back-to-back heavyweight films, Warfare and Street Fighter.
The biggest role that could give Centineo the final push into movie stardom is his upcoming role as Rambo in a prequel movie, with some reluctant blessings from Sylvester Stallone himself (Entertainment Tonight).
Charles Melton (34): Though popularized by CW teen drama, Riverdale, Charles Melton is one of the most promising rising stars of Hollywood. He has had a stunning arc in the 2023 film, May December, where he held his own against veteran stars like Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman.
He is also set to appear in Warfare alongside Will Poulter and Noah Centineo.
Nat Wolff (30): Though primarily focused on his career as a musician and songwriter, Nat Wolff has had extensive time in front of a camera since his early childhood. He also appeared as the lead in Paper Towns, with Cara Delevigne, and starred in the critically panned Netflix adaptation, Death Note.
Logan Lerman (33): The Percy Jackson star has all but disappeared from Hollywood after the 2013 sequel film. Now he appears in non-descript films like Shirley, Indignation, The Vanishing of Sidney Hall, and Bullet Train. His most influential film to date has been The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012).
Given a chance, any of these 5 actors could do justice to the portrait of Luigi Mangione on the big screen. Who would you vote for among these actors for the biopic role? Let us know in the comments.
Dave Franco’s upcoming film, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, will premiere on 14 November 2025.