How Will John Travolta Stack Up as John Gotti?

By Stephen M. Silverman

Thursday January 27, 2011 11:45 AM EST

Clockwise, from top left: John Gotti, John Travolta, James Franco, John Gotti Jr.

Getty; Everett; Landov (2)

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Throughout the '80s, when Paramount was desperate to continue its Godfather Mob movie franchise, the one star name that kept cropping up was John Travolta, fresh from his back-to-back Saturday Night Fever and Grease smashes for the studio.

While Travolta never did join the fictitious Corleone clan, now, some 30 years later, the leading man, 56, is in talks to star in a biopic as John Gotti (1940-2002), the real-life Gambino crime family boss so adept at avoiding conviction he was nicknamed "The Teflon Don."

Director Nick Cassavetes (Face/Off, Alpha Dog) is said to be at work on the script – with unconfirmed reports also claiming that 127 Hours Best Actor nominee and this year's Oscar co-host, James Franco, 32, will play "Junior" John Gotti Jr., 46, whom prosecutors unsuccessfully tried to prove was running his father's operations while dad was behind bars.

But are these likable guys the right dynamic duo to pull off this job? PEOPLE movie fans, you decide.