http://insidepulse.com/2011/05/04/taken-2-nabs-director/Liam Neeson has had quite the career transformation as of late. Always a capable character actor, and sometimes leading man, Neeson has had a string of action films that have been relatively succesful at the box office.
It all started with Taken as Brian Mills, CIA Operative, and now Neeson is reprising the role for a sequel. Variety is reporting that Neeson is returning to the role with some new faces behind the burgeoning franchise.
Twentienth Century Fox will distribute it and French director Olivier Megaton is coming on board instead of Pierre Morel. Megaton’s latest is Colombiana, a high-voltage revenge action thriller top lined by The Losers star Zoe Saldana, will open overseas on August 3. Tristar Pictures will handle the U.S. release. Megaton previously helmed Transporter 3 with Jason Statham.
What does it mean? Pierre Morel doesn’t really have a whole lot of luck directing franchises. He was replaced for the sequel to District 13 and has now been replaced with the sequel to Taken, as well.
Megaton is an interesting choice as the third Transporter film was the weakest of the three. But Morel has been a name in negotiations with a lot more high profile projects, including the newest adaptation of Dune that he walked away from, and so one imagines this is Luc Besson doing with directors that Judd Apatow does with actors in replacing bigger names from within.
Wed May 04, 2011 4:47 pm