ActionMan Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Sorry, Jason Statham fans. He's not going to be your "Real American Hero." Statham had been rumored as the likely choice to play Action Man in the upcoming G.I. Joe flick, but Statham insists he has nothing to do with the film. "The old Internet can be quite misleading at times," he tell MTV Movies Blog. "I don't know where that came from." Statham is keeping busy without Joe though, bro. The Bank Job is due out in 2008, and he's currently on the set of Death Race with a surprisingly excellent cast that includes Ian McShane and Joan Allen. That film is being directed by Paul W.S. Anderson (the terrible Soldier and the almost-terrible Alien Vs. Predator). I always wondered why that guy didn't change his name. You'd think years of people being disappointed when he's not Paul Thomas Anderson would get to the guy.

In addition to those projects, the ass-kicking Statham is lining up some sequels that will bring him back to some of his more popular roles. For starters, there's Crank 2, which Statham promises will be "effing ridiculous." "If you thought the first one was crazy, this is ridiculous. It's mad," he says. "I couldn't resist working with those chaps again. It gives me a chance to go wild in the aisles." For more on the Crank sequel, check Scott's report here. And yet another Statham sequel is in the works -- Transporter 3. "I have a massive yearning to do Part 3 with Luc (Besson). I think it will happen (soon)," says Statham. I haven't seen the Transporter films, though I hear great things. I do happen to think Crank is one of the finest pure action films in years. I'm dying for a sequel, if only to see how they make up for the fact that it sure looked like Statham's character -- spoiler warning -- died in the original. Oh, and bring Dwight Yoakam back! Man, I love that guy.

I don't really know a whole lot about the history of the G.I. Joe toy line, but apparently there was a British equivalent to the action figure known as "Action Man," and according to IESB.net, the producers of the (eventually) upcoming G.I. Joe movie are intent on including Action Man in the equation so as not to alienate international moviegoers who really have no freakin' idea who "G.I. Joe" is. (That make sense?)

Well it doesn't really have to. According to IESB, Paramount is looking at Jason Statham to play the part of the heroic Action Man -- and considering that Jason Statham kicks all kinds of butt and remains ultra-cool while doing it, I'm all for his inclusion in any ol' action flick. Word is that Stephen Sommers will be helming the project for Paramount, and that Mark Wahlberg is the (longtime) first choice to play a character known as Duke.

If you're a diehard G.I. Joe enthusiast, keep your browser positioned on this site, because they seem to have the inside track on this highly-fanticipated adaptation. Me, I just love action movies -- so the sooner this flick actually arrives, the better.