Posts tagged RayStevenson at Cinematical

Posts with tag RayStevenson

Lexi Alexander Talks Punisher: War Zone

Posted Apr 8th 2008 8:02PM by Elisabeth Rappe
Filed under: Action, Lionsgate Films, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels

Things continue to move slowly in the land of Punisher: War Zone. Every update is so minor that I can't even post it -- even the newly launched official website hasn't managed to offer anything for discussion. There's not even any good photos of Ray Stevenson as the titular hero. I'm stuck illustrating this piece with a photo from Rome because I think a handsome man like Stevenson deserves more than a dark profile shot. Just imagine he's wearing a black t-shirt, and there's a warehouse or dark street behind him, and it'll look better than the official stills do. (Jessica posted those for you back in January. Yeah, it's been that long.)

But, at last, there is an update, via director Lexi Alexander's blog. The studio has pushed the release all the way back to December. (It was originally set for September.) Allegedly, it's not because they are unhappy with the film, but because they think it will do better numbers. "They also moved our release date to December 5th, which is, according to my reps, a much, much better date. I myself would have thought that people will think twice about going to see an extremely violent movie the closer it gets to Jesus' B-day, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or whatever other holy holiday you're celebrating. Well, the box office records prove different and instead, all you sick f**** get more blood thirsty that time of year. (And I say that with lovingly affection, cause I'm relying on all the sick f**** to show up)." Ah, Christmas -- the holly and the ivy, and the spraying of semi automatics.

Continue reading Lexi Alexander Talks Punisher: War Zone

Dominic West is Jigsaw in 'Punisher: War Zone'

Posted Sep 25th 2007 11:02AM by Christopher Campbell
Filed under: Action, Casting, Lionsgate Films, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels

Recently, when Paddy Considine was being considered for the role of the villain Jigsaw in The Punisher: War Zone, a fan questioned why the movie would cast a Brit as an Italian mobster. That fan will probably continue wondering, because, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Lionsgate has finally announced the actor who won the part over Considine, and it is another English actor, Dominic West. If you remember, Considine was offered the role when the first choice had to pass, but then that first choice ended up taking it after all. So, West must have been that first choice. Funny, I was expecting someone more well-known, but I guess with recent appearances in 300 and Hannibal Rising and a recurring part on the popular television series The Wire, West is still more famous than Cinderella Man's Considine (personally, I can only place West in 28 Days, while I've seen much of Considine's work). For those unfamiliar with the comics, Jigsaw has a torn-up and re-stitched face, so it isn't like audiences will be recognizing West's own mug anyway.

Joining West is a more familiar actor who has also just been cast in the movie. Everyone's favorite conniving fat man, Wayne Knight (Seinfeld's "Newman"), will play Microchip (aka Linus Lieberman), the lone confidant who works with The Punisher, supplying him with guns and ammo -- think James Bond's Q meets Batman's Alfred, says Wikipedia. Because we can expect nothing less from Knight, though, I have to assume he also stabs The Punisher in the back and then gets eaten by dinosaurs. West and Knight join Ray Stevenson, as The Punisher, and the recently announced Dash Mikok (Romeo + Juliet's "Benvolio"), as Detective Soap, Colin Salmon (Resident Evil), as Agent Budiansky, and Doug Hutchison (The Green Mile) as LBJ (aka Looney Bin Jim). The comic adaptation will be directed by Lexi Alexander and may be released as early as late 2008.

'Punisher' Sequel Enters 'War Zone'

Posted Aug 29th 2007 6:02PM by Christopher Campbell
Filed under: Action, Lionsgate Films, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels

Either somebody at Lionsgate is reading Cinematical, or we just happen to think alike. Earlier this month, when the studio announced the next Punisher movie was a do-over, I suggested going with the stand-alone title The Punisher: War Zone. Well, they didn't completely go with my idea -- they left off the The -- but according to ComingSoon.net, they came pretty close. Of course, a million or so comic book fans could have come up with the same thing, since the title is the same as one of the many Marvel series starring the popular anti-hero. However, even the comic book title was a little bit different -- it had the The but featured no colon. The Punisher War Zone ran for a somewhat skimpy 41 issues (plus two annuals), from 1992 to 1995, and as far as I know had no specific distinction from the main Punisher series. Lionsgate could have also gone with the longer-running title The Punisher War Journal, which was a series from 1988 to 1995 and is now also a new, current series. Anything would have been a better choice than what the IMDb currently has listed -- The Punisher: Welcome Back, Frank.

As I mentioned, Punisher: War Zone will be a totally isolated movie, with no connection to the previous adaptations from 1989 (the Dolph Lundgren one) and 2004 (the Thomas Jane one). The franchise reboot will be directed by Lexi Alexander (Hooligans) and will star Ray Stevenson (HBO's Rome) as the vigilante Frank Castle, aka The Punisher. All that is known about the plot is that it will be set in New York City and involves Castle's pursuit of a mobster. Personally, the whole time I was reading comics, I thought this was the only plot ever in the Punisher titles. I have to admit, though, that aside from The Punisher Meets Archie, I never even flipped through a Punisher book. Still, my ignorance and expectations aside, I'd much rather watch any comic book movie set in the Big Apple than set in Tampa, so at least that factor has me interested in this latest version.

New 'Punisher' Movie Is Apparently Another Do-Over

Posted Aug 2nd 2007 2:01PM by Christopher Campbell
Filed under: Action, Lionsgate Films, Comic/Superhero/Geek

Without Thomas Jane returning for The Punisher 2, Lionsgate Films has decided to reboot and go for a fresh start. Of course, the studio is hoping for a new franchise with this new effort, so hopefully Ray Stevenson, who we previously learned is the new Frank Castle/Punisher, will want to or will be contractually obligated to stick around for sequels. Also, the fans will hopefully be satisfied with the new incarnation of Marvel's popular anti-hero, who will now appropriately be in pursuit of mobsters in New York City rather than ~~Miami~~* Tampa (the setting of Artisan/Lionsgate's 2004 effort). The decision to reboot could also be because Lionsgate didn't officially greenlight the last film -- the studio only acquired it when it bought Artisan -- and wants to redo it their own way. Because we all know it isn't uncommon to produce a sequel in which the main character is played by a substitute actor.

The thing that makes this reboot more interesting is that the 2004 film was already like a replacement for the 1989 version, which starred Dolph Lundgren. So technically this is the third attempt to get the character right. Some might liken it to next year's The Incredible Hulk, which is a reboot of 2003's Hulk, itself somewhat a replacement for the 1977 TV-movie/pilot, The Incredible Hulk. I wonder, though, what Lionsgate could possibly call the new Punisher movie without confusing audiences. At least the new Hulk movie has added "The Incredible" to the title. Perhaps Lionsgate will drop the "The" and just go with Punisher? Or will it go with a completely new title a la The Dark Knight or at least a subtitle, say The Punisher: War Zone? Whatever the title, the movie better be filled with plenty of martial arts, since former world kickboxing champ Lexi Alexander (Hooligans) is directing it. If you remember, he** she took over when John Dahl dropped out, claiming the studio wouldn't spend enough on the film and the script was no good. I'm not sure if Lionsgate has retooled the screenplay since then, but Variety now credits it to the writers Nick Santora (TV's Prison Break), Kurt Sutter (TV's The Shield), Matt Holloway (Iron Man) and Art Marcum (Iron Man) -- formerly it was Sutter with Stuart Beattie and Jonathan Hensleigh.

* This was just an ignorant mistake, sorry about that.

**sorry about the typo, I knew she is a she

Ray Stevenson is the New Punisher, Source Says

Posted Jul 22nd 2007 8:02PM by Patrick Walsh
Filed under: Action, Casting, RumorMonger, Scripts, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels, ComicCon

A very reliable source at Latino Review is reporting that the new Punisher has been cast. It looks like it will be ... drumroll please ... Ray Stevenson. Latino Review expects this information to be confirmed at ComicCon later this week or possibly before. Stevenson's biggest film role so far was probably as Dagonet in 2004's King Arthur, but he's likely best known as Titus Pullo on HBO's very entertaining (and of course, canceled -- damn you, HBO!) Rome. Thomas Jane played the Punisher in 2004, Dolph Lundgren played the part in 1989. Former World Karate and Kickboxing Champion Lexi Alexander (Green Street Hooligans) will direct The Punisher 2. The villain will be Jigsaw, whom I faintly remember from my days of collecting comic cards to fit in at junior high school.

I somehow managed to miss both film versions of The Punisher, but I've heard they kind of live up to their names. Was John Travolta as ridiculous in the 2004 version as he looked in the previews? I can't say the thought of this new one is thrilling me, either. I was intrigued when John Dahl was going to direct it. But as Jessica told you last month, he decided the script, written by Stuart Beattie, Jonathan Hensleigh and Kurt Sutter, was "not that good." Yikes. A little wikipedia research reveals that what little I remember about The Punisher is accurate: he "considers killing, kidnapping, extortion, coercion, threats of violence and torture as acceptable crime-fighting tactics." Hey, whatever pays the bills. Ray Stevenson is probably a better choice than Thomas Jane, but don't you think a perfect selection would be Henry Rollins? How has that guy not been considered?

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Lexi Alexander Talks Punisher: War Zone

Dominic West is Jigsaw in 'Punisher: War Zone'

'Punisher' Sequel Enters 'War Zone'

New 'Punisher' Movie Is Apparently Another Do-Over

Ray Stevenson is the New Punisher, Source Says

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