Paul Ben-Victor Joins Vince Vaughn, Theo James & Patrick Schwarzenegger In ‘The Bookie & The Bruiser’

EXCLUSIVE: After raising the stakes in last weekend’s episode of HBO Max/DC’s Lanterns, we hear that Paul Ben-Victor just wrapped a role in the Vince Vaughn, Theo James and Patrick Schwarzenegger movie, The Bookie & The Bruiser.

Ben-Victor is playing the lead bad guy, mob boss Generale Francesco Viscuzo.

The Bookie & The Bruiser is set in 1959 New York City and features a pensive Jewish fellow named Rivner (James) and an oversized Italian-American tough named Boscolo (Vaughn). Having served in World War II, the two return as changed men, no longer fitting into their old lives. Unwilling to take orders or play by the rules of polite society, the two partner up as a bookmaker and his enforcer and run an illicit gambling operation that proves highly profitable — but dangerous. Their operation thrives until they’re caught in a violent power struggle between the Mafia and an Irish gang, forcing them into a violent fight for survival. Schwarzenegger plays twin brothers Augie and Bernard in the movie.

S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk, Brawl in Cell Block 99) wrote the pic and directs. Oscar-winning producer Anthony Katagas (12 Years a Slave, Ad Astra) produced via Keep Your Head Productions alongside Dave Caplan (Longlegs, The Monkey), Dan Bekerman and Vaughn. C2 Motion Picture Group fully bankrolled the pic. UTA Independent Film Group and Range Select arranged the financing and are representing the North American distribution rights. Anton handled foreign sales.

Ben-Victor currently has a recurring on Lanterns as Antaan. He’ll next be seen in The Boys from Brazil for Netflix, from Peter Morgan and opposite Jeremy Strong, and is returning for season 3 of Netflix’s hit Nobody Wants This. He’ll also play Sam Giancana in the feature Killing Castro opposite Al Pacino, which premiered at Tribeca earlier this year. Ben-Victor recently wrapped Empire City for director Michael Matthews, opposite Gerard Butler and Hayley Atwell.

Ben-Victor can also be seen in Netflix’s Man on Fire and Peacock/MRC’s M.I.A. Prior to that, he starred in The Lincoln Lawyer for Netflix, Bookie for Max, and Raising Kananfor Starz. The actor is perhaps best known for David Simon and HBO’s The Wire, and for Martin Scorsese’s Vinyl and The Irishman, as well as Plane and True Detective. Ben-Victor is represented by Verve and Alan Siegel Entertainment.