Liam Neeson will star in Universal’s action-comedy The Revenger
Deadline is reporting that Universal Pictures has lined up a fun core group of filmmakers to craft the original action-comedy The Revenger, which Liam Neeson (Taken, Run All Night) will headline for director Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland, Gangster Squad) and the screenwriting team of Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant (Night at the Museum, Hell Baby).
Although no plot details have been revealed, the combination of Neeson with the satirical bent of Lennon & Garant leads one to believe that this might be the legendary leading man’s chance to parody his recent run as a middle-aged action star in sturdy but seemingly interchangeable fare like Non-Stop, A Walk Among the Tombstones, Unknown and, of course, the Taken trilogy. Neeson has already shown a willingness to poke fun at his tough guy image with comedic appearances on Key & Peele, Life’s Too Short and Ted 2.
Scott Stuber and Dylan Clark’s Universal-based production house Bluegrass Films will produce The Revenger along with Fleischer and his producing partner David Bernad through The District.
Neeson just completed work on Martin Scorsese’s 17th century Japanese epic Silence alongside Andrew Garfield, as well as playing the title creature in J.A. Bayona’s fantasy A Monster Calls. Both films are due out next year.
Besides starring in CBS’ series revival of “The Odd Couple,” Tom Lennon, along with writing partner Garant, has developed the script for the potential Vin Diesel vehicle The Machine as well as the adaptation of popular YA book series Choose Your Own Adventure with Rawson Marshall Thurber at the helm.
(Photo credit: WENN)
