PunisherSequel Tagged Articles at Cinematical
John Dahl in Talks to Direct 'Punisher 2'?
Filed under: Action », Lionsgate Films », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels »
Just yesterday we learned that actor Thomas Jane was hanging up his Punisher T-shirt (you know, the black one with the skull on it) for good, and today there seems to be just a little more news regarding the sequel. According to Freeze Dried Movies (aka Bloody-Disgusting.com), none other than John Dahl is presently in talks to helm The Punisher 2. We'll give FDM the benefit of the doubt until we get some secondary confirmation, but this would be a pretty interesting pairing. (And if it turns out our source is right, then damn good job on the scoop, fellas.)For those who thought film noir died in the '60s, let me introduce John Dahl. Sometimes writer / solid director behind The Last Seduction, Red Rock West, Joy Ride and Rounders, Dahl is (in this commentator's humble opinion) a damn fine filmmaker. OK sure, that Unforgettable flick was pretty darn ... forgettable, but I'm one of the few who thought Mr. Dahl's foray into the wartime genre (The Great Raid) was quite the underrated flick. (The director also has the dark comedy You Kill Me scheduled for a June 22 release.) But would a fairly indie-minded filmmaker like John Dahl (who's had a pair of pretty painful studio experiences) actually be interested in helming a movie called The Punisher 2? Maybe not, but I'd be willing to bet if Dahl does climb on board, we're going to get a much better flick than the first Punisher, Thomas Jane or no Thomas Jane.
Thomas Jane Drops Out of 'Punisher' Sequel -- Won't Say Why
Filed under: Action », Lionsgate Films », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels »
Bad news for the Punisher posse: After a few years of waiting for Lionsgate to give The Punisher 2 a green light, actor Thomas Jane has decided to move on and worry about other gigs. Early word was that the sequel would be decidedly darker and more action-packed than its flat-footed predecessor, and Jane seemed more than amped to leap back into the role of Frank Castle and turn the series around. And then ... nothing.And now comes something that looks like the final word: According to AICN's Quint, who recently received an email from Mr. Jane, the actor is done done done waiting around for his Marvel sequel ... but he doesn't exactly say WHY, either: "I am, sadly – no, make that heartbrokenly – f*** it - just rip out the heart and stomp it into the pavement a couple of times – pulling out ... What I won't do is spend months of my life sweating over a movie that I just don't believe in. I've always loved the Marvel guys, and wish them well."
So what this tells me -- keeping in mind that this is pure conjecture on my part -- is that Lionsgate wants to stick on the PG-13 track if they make a Punisher follow-up. And maybe even go the direct-to-video route, which is something Mr. Jane probably wouldn't dig. Between The Mist and The Mutant Chronicles, the guy's on his way up ... and doing just another lame-o sequel might be counter-productive at this point. (Plus he's also got Killshot on the way, which has been sitting on a Weinstein shelf for well over a year now.) Check out Tom's entertainingly rambly email message right here.
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