Joe Carnaghan doing Smoking Aces Prequel

Joe Carnaghan announced today that he will be doing a direct to DVD prequel to his crime thriller Smoking Aces. Quote:

I am wishing Joe the best on this project. Smoking Aces was a fun movie, not a favorite, but still fun to watch! In Smoking Aces FBI Deputy Director Stanley Locke (Andy Garcia) has just dispatched his top agent, Richard Messner (Ryan Reynolds), and Messner’s veteran partner, Donald Carruthers (Ray Liotta), to Buddy "Aces” Israel’s (Jeremy Piven) not-so-secret hiding spot in Lake Tahoe.  Their mission: protect the sleazy Vegas magician from mob boss Primo Sparazza—said to have performed over 130 contract murders—upon whom Aces has agreed to turn state’s evidence to save his own skin.

As the mob learns of his betrayal, they put a million-dollar bounty on Aces’ head.  They don’t care who does him, just as long as he gets dead quick.  Now, a wild menagerie of mercenaries, mass murderers and gorgeous guns-for-hire descend on Tahoe to locate Aces and collect that money…no matter who gets in their way.

Thugs from Sparazza’s tight inner circle have bought their own insurance policy in the form of ghetto fab glam assassins Georgia Sykes (Alicia Keys) and her partner, sniper Sharice Watters (Taraji Henson).  A psychopathic trio neo-Nazi inbreeds known as the Tremor brothers sniff cash like bloodhounds and have made haste to Tahoe as well.  Darwin (Chris Pine), Jeeves (Kevin Durand) and Lestor Tremor (Maury Serling) have nothing resembling a conscience, and they use their limited brainpower to murder anyone who stands in the way of a big payday.  Additionally, international hit men—including ruthless torture specialist Pasquale Acosta (Nestor Carbonell) and master of disguise Lazlo Soot (Tommy Flanagan)—are bringing their uniquely twisted blend of skills to Tahoe.

To complicate matters, bottom-of-the-barrel Vegas bail bondsman Jack Dupree (Ben Affleck) accepts a $50,000 retainer from attorney Rupert "Rip” Reed (Jason Bateman) to find the bail-jumping Aces before he gets handed over to the FBI…and the quarry is gone for good.  Dupree recruits disillusioned ex-vice cop "Pistol” Pete Deeks (Peter Berg) and his former partner, Hollis Elmore (Martin Henderson), to help wrangle Aces.  The good news is they’re only a short, three-hour drive from Tahoe.

The question is: who is going to get to Aces first? In the eye of the storm—trying to stay one step ahead of their boss’ trouble—are Sir Ivy (Common), Ace’s steadfast second-in-command, and his thickheaded bodyguard, Hugo Croop (Joel Edgerton).  But while the magician’s henchmen try to protect him from the onslaught of killers, Agents Messner and Carruthers begin to uncover the truth behind Aces’ real role in bringing down the mob. And nothing that surrounds Buddy Israel has ever been what it appears to be…