'Boss Level' Will Be Joe Carnahan's Spin On The 'Groundhog Day' Movie Formula

The classic Bill Murray comedy Groundhog Day is the most famous movie example of a time loop scenario in which a character must relive the same day over and over again, but there have been plenty of others since 1993. The concept seems to be back in fashion in Hollywood these days, with films like Edge of Tomorrow, Before I Fall, Naked, and Happy Death Day putting their own characters through a repeating hellscape in order to teach them a lesson about themselves. And now a new movie called Boss Level will use that same formula.

Boss Level hails from writer/director Joe Carnahan, who directed muscular movies like Smokin' Aces, The A-Team, and The Grey, and Variety says the story revolves around "a retired special forces veteran trapped in a never-ending time loop resulting in his death every day." Frank Grillo, who worked with Carnahan on The Grey and has made a name for himself in movies like Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Purge sequels, is negotiating to play the veteran protagonist, while Mel Gibson (ugh) is also in talks to star.

I'll spare you a full rant, but when is Hollywood going to stop giving Mel Gibson chances? The guy is in the midst of a full-on career renaissance right now as he stars in Daddy's Home 2, and he's less than a year removed from receiving a Best Director nomination at the Academy Awards. Is our society's collective memory really that short?

In any case, Hollywood has spent years trying to adapt video games into movies, but they haven't quite been able to hit one out of the park yet. But where films like Need for Speed and Assassin's Creed fail, movies that use video game concepts instead of attempting to port over an entire piece of intellectual property have often turned out much better. (Shout-out to Wreck-It Ralph!) And while we still aren't sure about the relationship Boss Level will have to video games, its title certainly seems to indicate that it'll be taking some heavy influence from that medium.

Normally, this is the type of movie I'd be excited about seeing. It's a fun concept with a solid director involved, and has a star in Grillo who I'm interested to see continue to grow into his newfound leading man status. It's only Gibson's involvement that gives me pause, and don't imagine I'll be able to overcome that hang-up by the time this film is released. Everyone has to draw their own personal lines in the sand when it comes to separating the art from the artist, and I'm not ready for any more Mel Gibson movies. Will you be seeing Boss Level when it comes out?