We’ve got a load of second trailers today — new ones from In Time and Moneyball are on the way — but we’ll start with this second look at the Jason Statham action flick Killer Elite. The last trailer outlined the basic plot: Jason Statham is a killer whose mentor/partner (Robert De Niro) is kidnapped by Clive Owen, leading to a big violent rescue attempt set to ‘Rock You Like a Hurricane’ by The Scorpions. If that sounds terrible then there is probably no reason to keep reading. If that sounds great, know that Killer Elite looks like an action cliche party, and this trailer is your invitation. Read More »
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So there’s this action movie starring Jason Statham. Shocker, right? This particular one is called Blitz, and we’ve already seen a couple trailers to show off the British action thriller. It looks like it’s going straight to DVD in the US, which is a bit strange given that Jason Statham action movies seem to earn enough coin to make a theatrical release worthwhile. But I’m not a company beancounter, so what do I know?
Jason Statham plays a cop who is targeting a serial killer who is targeting cops. It’s like an Ouroboros of cops and killers. For me, the attraction here is Paddy Considine, playing the openly gay partner to Statham’s homophobic tough guy. Until I can see his directorial debut, Tyrannosaur, I’ll be happy to watch him in anything. (More happy to watch him in Hot Fuzz and Red Road, but why split hairs?) Check out the trailer below, and see if you’ll be queuing Blitz in advance of its August 23 release. Read More »
Briefly: Casting has been coming together quickly for Parker, which Taylor Hackford is directing with Jason Statham starring as the classic Richard Stark anti-hero. (As previously played on screen by Lee Marvin, Mel Gibson and others.) Jennifer Lopez is in talks for a key role, and Clifton Collins Jr. and Wendell Pierce signed to play other small roles. Now Deadline says that Michael Chiklis will play “Jason Statham’s nemesis” in the film. Word is that the John J. McLaughlin script jumps off from a number of Stark’s novels to create a new story. The debut novel The Hunter (’62)and later novel Flashfire (’00) are said to be part of the ingredient list.
Parker shoots in August.
After the long Fourth of July weekend we don’t have a lot of news on the casting front, but there are a few good stories to share, and they’re all in a similar vein. Today, the theme is crime pictures. After the break you’ll find info on the following:
- John Malkovich is taking the lead in Siberian Education, which chronicles the culture of crime in a small community near the Ukraine.
- Parker, the new screen version of Richard Stark’s classic crime character, gets two supporting players.
- And French film The Lookout casts Daniel Auteuil as a cop out to catch a sharpshooter who ruined a well-laid police plan. Read More »
Here’s the trailer for Killer Elite, which is the Jason Statham-iest Jason Statham movie yet. The muscular star plays a killer (elite) whose mentor (Robert De Niro) is kidnapped by another killer (Clive Owen). Cue a rescue attempt and a great many instances of people talking about just what a badass Jason Statham is. Gary McKendry directs this one, which should be an instant ticket purchase for anyone who loved The Mechanic. Check the trailer below. Read More »
Jennifer Lopez is making her way back to movie screens in a big way. She’ll recently showed up in The Back-Up Plan, will voice a character in Ice Age: Continental Drift, and now she’s in talks for two roles: one in What to Expect When You’re Expecting (more on that in a different article) and one in Taylor Hackford‘s Parker, which is set to star Jason Statham as the character created by Donald Westlake (under his penname Richard Stark) in the novel The Hunter. Read More »
Briefly: I know there are people who really like the films of Simon West (Con Air, Tomb Raider, The Mechanic) and I expect that audience will be thrilled that he is directing the sequel to The Expendables. Will he do a better job than Sylvester Stallone did with the original? Hard to say; two out of Sly’s last three films have been either genuinely good (Rocky Balboa) or a lot of fun (Rambo) so he’s probably got another good one in him. But The Expendables, a purely by the numbers exercise, sure wasn’t it.
So let Simon West have a crack at the sequel that will reunite Sly, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke, Terry Crews and possibly Bruce Willis, with new participants very likely. (There will probably be a new female lead, playing the daughter of Mickey Rourke’s character.) David Agosto and Ken Kaufman are writing this one, and I’m hoping they’ve come up with material to really match the testosterone level of the cast. The Expendables 2 will release on August 17, 2012. [Deadline]
You don’t need a major studio to attract big stars to your movie. A great story and some money will do the trick. An example of this is Killer Elite, an independently-produced action movie based on a true story starring Jason Statham, Robert De Niro and Clive Owen. The film, directed by first time feature filmmaker Gary McKendry, will be the first one distributed by Open Road Films, a new label created by AMC and Regal Entertainment. It opens September 23. Read more after the jump. Read More »
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