This may be an April Fool’s joke, but Dark Horizons‘ Garth Franklin has reported (via Reuters) that Al Pacino is “being sought” to join Robert DeNiro in the Departed sequel, based on a script by the brilliant, bulky and bearded William Monaghan.

The film (I know this part isn’t bullshit) has no choice but to focus on Mark Wahlberg‘s “Dignam” character because — spoiler for people who live in caves! — he’s the biggest name who wasn’t killed in the original.

The story revolves around big-time political corruption as the abrasive, motor-mouthed Wahlberg goes undercover to take down an oily U.S. Senator (DeNiro). The producers (Graham King, etc.) want Pacino to play Wahlberg’s new boss (i.e., succeeding the dead Martin Sheen), “a force veteran who may not be as clean as he appears.”

Alec Baldwin (“You’re one of those healthy types, right? Go fuck yourself”) is also expected to reprise his Departed role. (Why wouldn’t this be true?)

The Warner Bros. project is said to be moving forward with such haste that “it could very well be Scorsese’s next,” Franklin passes along. April Fool!….not?

No matter what happens between De Niro and Pacino in this film (i.e., sharing the same scene, confrontationally speaking), I can’t see it topping their legendary Kate Mantellini mano e mano in Michael Mann‘s Heat.