Takeover: Everything We Know So Far About The Billy Zane Diamond Heist Movie
Billy Zane knows how to pick a villain. The actor has consistently provoked reactions of seething disgust for decades, ever since he first jumped on the screen in "Back to the Future" as one of Biff's henchmen. Of course, he is best known as the epitome of entitlement and toxicity in James Cameron's epic "Titanic," where he most famously abused the "women and children first" code of conduct by kidnapping a little girl he immediately abandons when she isn't a convenience.
Since then, Zane has played villains in "MacGruber," "Kingdom Hearts," and even in "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" where Zane plays the greatest showman himself, P.T. Barnum. As a reminder, that show was insane, and totally perfect.
Now, Zane has found his latest role, and it sounds like another Zane winner. Variety reports Billy Zane is set to star in the action thriller heist film "Takeover."
What is Takeover about?
The film takes place in Atlanta in the world of street takeovers, also known as sideshows, which involve motorists blocking streets at a coordinated location and doing stunts with their cars. Zane is set to play Gamal Akopyan, the leader of an international heist ring.
Akopyan uses these sideshows as a distraction and getaway for his mass robberies, but when one heist goes wrong, he will have to escape the takeover scene alive while also hiding nine figures' worth of diamonds. You know, super easy, barely an inconvenience.
According to Variety, the film's goal is to "underscore the fascination and controversy surrounding takeovers." So hopefully it will be more nuanced than what the premise suggests, akin to something like "Blindspotting." The show, also set in "Atlanta," ends its first episode with the major characters reuniting at a sideshow and doing the Thizzle Dance with the rest of the community while the wheels spun around and the music blasted loud. It is a moment of joy, of togetherness, rather than violence of crime.
Can "Takedown" do the same? That remains to be seen, as the premise can be interpreted one of two ways: either Akopyan is organizing these sideshows specifically to aid his crime spree and with the collaboration of the drivers, or he just takes advantage of the situation. One has some rather negative and problematic connotations that go the usual route of criminalizing Black culture for entertainment. The other could lead to some fascinating commentary on how the media generalizes a few incidents and makes that the face of anything related to Black culture.
Who is the cast and crew of Takeover?
In addition to Zane, the film is also starring rapper Quavo. The script is being penned by "Die Hard" writer Jeb Stuart and "Marvel's Agent Carter" writer Brandon Easton. Meanwhile, Netflix's WWII animated drama "The Liberator" director Greg Jonkajtys will take over the director's chair for "Takeover."
While a movie about Billy Zane using a cultural movement in order to commit crimes is already fascinating and bonkers, what is arguably most exciting about the project is the production company involved.
You see, director Jonkajtys is also the chief creative officer for animation studio Trioscope, which is producing "Takeover" and also produced "The Liberator." Variety reports that the studio is set to bring "Takedown" to life using proprietary technology that "fuses live-action performances and CG." Does this just mean that they'll be handling CGI for the car stunts? Or is this going to be an animation/live-action hybrid? In that case, will the cars and bikes be animated, or will the people? In any case, this could elevate this heist to a new level.