I can recall a time not too ancient when I would stumble onto comment threads about who would could play Luke Cage in a feature film or a series. Long before Mike Colter earned his cred for Netflix, I once advocated for actor Terry Crews as a possiblity, and…well… some cats laughed at the idea.
Fast forward to the tail end of 2019 and far and away from all things Marvel and Netflix, Crews has his own prospects thanks to Saban Films’ acquistion of his new action drama, John Henry, as of August. Will Forbes is making his directorial debut featuring a brooding Crews in a titular modern-day take on a folkloric hero.
Ex-gang member, John Henry (Terry Crews), traded violence for a quieter life taking care of his aging father (Ken Foree) in South Los Angeles. Henry meets two immigrant children running from his former gang leader (Chris “Ludacris: Bridges) and has to decide whether to revisit his troubled past to help give the two children a better future.
The trailer itself looks legitimately promising. I was instantly taken back to what easily could have been the Johnny Knoxville-less Walking Tall reboot I think moviegoers would appreciate one day, and there’s no question in my view that Crews can play a stoic, brutal character like this one if he so pleases. Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Jamila Velazquez, Tyler Alvarez, Ken Foree, Joseph Julian Soria, and Dohn Norwood also star.
January 24 in select theaters and on VOD for this one, so make a note and peep the trailer. (H/T: First Showing)