While director Pierre Morel’s 2009 thriller, Taken, was a pure hit that worked in more ways than several for action fans like myself, I can’t personally agree that the second and third films did anything for me. Poorly-made editing choices – some of which are now the focal point of many a discussion (or joke) about helmer Oliver Megaton’s treatment of the action sequences in the second and third films – have taken center stage with respect to the affectionately named “Bourne-style” that has become so prolific with that of the Jason Bourne movies inspired by the Robert Ludlum novels.
Since then, however, the chatter has amply served well for actor Liam Neeson’s own appeal as an action star with films like Unknown and A Walk Among The Tombstones, while the trilogy itself has earned the prospect of a television adaptation with actor Clive Standen set to star as of earlier this year. That said, you can easily guess the next route if you follow Asian cinema enough, and on that note, we have word of news forwarded through Asian Film Strike of a remake of the initial film with Fundemental Films spearheading the process.
Seven Swords and Drug War co-star Sun Honglei will headline the film retelling the story of a former retired CIA field operative whose daughter gets kidnapped and sold into the international sex slave trade while vacationing, forcing him to go above and beyond the call of duty to use his “particular set of skills” to unleash his own brand of lone justice and rescue her once and for all. Time will tell how this story gets treated and if sequels will follow in the same fashion but Sun himself seems a perfect fit for a role of this caliber, and not for nothing as this follows recent news of his attachment to a remake of CJ Entertainment’s 2015 hit movie, Veteran, reprising the role Hwang Jung-Min played for helmer Ryu Seung-Wan.
Further casting on the Taken remake, filming dates and a named director remain pending. That said, “Good luck!” Sun!