While waiting online for the valet, Collider bumped into director John Singleton and ended up with some nice scoops regarding his upcoming take on The A-Team. Before we go any farther, I just want to say that Singleton is one of the most personable and persuasive directors I’ve ever interviewed. During production for 2 Fast 2 Furious, his ideas sounded just as badass, weirdly agreeable and uncompromising as they do here. But either way, he clearly digs the script and material…and might he be dismissing Ice Cube’s recent self-casting as B.A. Baracus?
A-Team is going. It’s not a comic movie farce like Starsky and Hutch, it’s kind of in the tradition of the 80’s action pictures, the man’s movies like Die Hard, Predator, Commando, or even Lethal Weapon more so than anything else. The action is very serious, but there is humor. That’s what we are going for. I don’t know who is in the cast yet, so all this bullshit of who is saying who is this person and who is…nobody is playing Mr. T, the character’s name is B.A. Baracus, he will have a Mohawk and there is a moment in the movie where he actually gets the Mohawk cause he’s going crazy. And I don’t know who is in the cast yet, but I do know that the only person I want right now is, that I really, really want is Woody Harrelson to play Murdock, the guy who is crazy but he’s kind of real smart, a jack of all trades.
Casting Woody Harrelson as Murdock would set a great tone and message for the film. The guy’s great with comedy (White Men Can’t Jump, Kingpin, the upcoming Semi-Pro) and I’ve always thought it odd that he’s stayed away from straight-up action flicks with the exception of the disappointing Money Train. Harrelson has a certain athleticism, slacker brawn and twinkle in the eye that’s perfect for the genre. And with Oliver Stone’s Pinkville recently falling apart due to the strike, Harrelson’s schedule might free him up to consider the film. Singleton didn’t specify the film’s rating, but you’ll notice that the ’80s films he references above are all, famously, R-rated “movies for guys who like movies” staples. I’d be surprised if the studio (Fox) lets him take it there, but if they do my outlook on the flick improves greatly. I might be the only person who’s still in shock and shambles over Live Free of Die Hard, as well as the tameness and unneeded high concepts of ’00s action efforts.
Another interesting detail Singleton revealed is that the cast members will have a stipulation to sign on for additional A-Team flicks. This wasn’t the case with drivel like The Dukes of Hazzard, and while Singleton says the film’s budget isn’t locked down, the detail hints at a long term investment rather than a nostalgic stand alone cash-and-grab. Singleton also plays up the script by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas (3:10 to Yuma and…2 Fast 2 Furious) in his chat, saying it’s the primary reason he’s onboard. And while he’s at it, why not randomly compare it to the Bourne films?
Yeah, and the people who are now just going to the movies and don’t know anything about that, will go to it just cause it’s a hot movie. It’s kind of like what they did with the Bourne movies, no nonsense but with a humor, with action. You know what I mean, wall to wall kicking ass and talking shit [laughs].
If John Singleton’s A-Team was rated-R, would that impact your anticipation for the film?
January 13th, 2008 at 3:22 am
It’s an interesting concept. Being that I did not grow up with the TV show, a rating of R wouldn’t really effect my wanting to see it. It may be different for the old die hards though.
January 13th, 2008 at 9:20 am
yeah.
if it’s rated R I won’t see it.
…better be PG.
January 13th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Sorry Hunter Stephenson this movie won’t be R rated.
DH4 was good in my opinion but yes an R rating would have been better.
I think they will shoot this movie as an R rated movie but fox will do some dubbing and stuff in post production and make it PG-13. Then the dvd will come out saying UNRATED.
January 13th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
THey want woody?
Get him a dimebag he’ll join.
January 13th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Hi Everyone,
In case it didn’t come off this way, I wanted to reiterate that based on personal experience, Singleton has a gift for making his projects sound incredible but what turns up on screen is usually not so much. When I interviewed him, his vision for 2 Fast 2 Furious shared a lot of similarity to how QT promoted Death Proof’s car chase. He wanted to make the definitive hardcore car movie, namedropping ’70s classics, and he may have even used the “man’s movie” line. He vision for “The Dark Knight” (and this was way before Batman Begins was cast), was pretty sweet, too: really gritty and…R-rated.
Woody’s filmography is stocked full with R-rated flicks, even his comedies sans Kingpin (which was borderline, as well as one of my faves) are R. He’d be perfect for a “Lethal Weapon”-type franchise. And if anyone’s seen “D.C. Cab” (effing crazy movie, see it), you know that Mr. T wasn’t always PG or PG-13. But, again, I think what we’ll get is a PG-13 movie and what you see in your head (i.e. not good) is probably close. An R-rating would change that.
January 13th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Why should it make a difference if it’s R or PG or PG-13? If the story sucks, the story will suck regardless of the rating. Yeah, it’s an action movie but, then again, they showed action on the TV show and didn’t need an “R rating” to do it.
I’d rather them actually try to something half-way interesting with this rather than just have them “try for” an R rating so that we can see …. what? Stuff (and people) blow up more gruesomely? Or maybe we get to hear some more swearing? (’Cause I’m sure that would make the movie so much better. {Sarcasm alert})
January 13th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
I’d be so excited if it was rated R. Sure there can be a good PG-13 action movie but the R rating gives it a little more oomph Like in Kive Free or Die Hard on the big screen… “yippie kay eh mother *EXPLOSION*” That pissed me off so much
January 14th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Yeah, but Pat, does it really matter to hear the word motherf***er? Is it really that important to people? I mean, I get it. It was in all the other movies. And, yeah, I agree that sometimes hearing someone say “you dumb jerk” doesn’t quite fit as well as “you godd***, c**ksucking son of a b**ch!!!” — but, when you think about it, does it really matter?
I don’t know. Some movies are R and they are R from the outset because of how the film is structured and its subject matter. I just think that a movie that purposely “stretches” to reach that R — even when not really necessary — is probably going more for that than they are for a good story or anything else.
The only thing I can say that might be good about stretching for the R is that it might keep kids out. I say that because they can slip a surprising amount of violence in movies that are rated PG-13.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
in the tv show there was never any bad language… no blood and no one ever got killed… aa r rating may ruin what the tv show was all about but some bad words and some good violence and even enough sexual themes or referalls to drug use could make it a decent pg-13 movie
March 1st, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Woody would be cool! I just don’t think in the long run he could do all the different voices that Dwight Schultz did.
Heres my list!
Templeton “Faceman” Peck: Tom Cruse
“Howling Mad” Murdoch: Jim Carrey
Bosco “B.A.” Baracus: Michael Clarke
John “Hannibal” Smith: Leslie Nielsen