stratton

PUT THE BUNNY BACK IN THE BOX: A Conversation With Director Simon West

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of Con Air, a roller-coaster of an action movie starring Nicolas Cage and the debut film of director Simon West. Like fellow action maestros Michael Bay and Antione Fuqua, West worked his way through the ranks at Propaganda Films making award winning music videos and commercials. As a feature filmmaker, he’s directed everything from the surprisingly solid Tomb Raider (starring Angelina Jolie at the height of her fame) to Expendables 2 (the best film in the franchise) as well as TV shows like Human Target. Now he’s here to talk about his latest action project, Stratton. Adapted from a popular book series about an elite operative in the British SBS (Special Boat Service), this could become a new British action franchise to stand side by side with Bond. West (left) directing a magnificently grungy Nicholas Cage (right). Film Combat Syndicate: You’ve had a pretty […]

Review: “Stratton, …John Stratton”

Since his 1997 debut film, Con Air, Simon West has been a solid B+ action filmmaker. Over the last twenty years, he’s directed ten feature films ranging from the surprisingly decent (for its day) video game adaption Tomb Raider (2001) to the Jason Statham remake of The Mechanic (2011). He’s responsible for the best film in the Expendables franchise (Expendables 2), though that’s not exactly high praise. But over the last five years, the kinds of films that West specializes in have fallen out of fashion and into the DTV realm. There are plenty of talented directors in the DTV space making solid and occassionally spectacular action films, does West have what it takes to join their ranks? John Stratton (Dominic Cooper) is the leader of an elite team of British anti-terrorists. After his team is betrayed on a mission, their token American is killed and Stratton barely survives. Now, […]

Review: STRATTON Holds Its Own As Much As Its Star

Lee B. Golden III

Actor Dominic Cooper’s feasibility as an action star is something I wouldn’t have suspected, as unassuming as he is. Then again, recent years have shown that filmmakers can make anyone an action star and the outcome depends on how the filmmaker in question applies the necessary methods for doing so. Some are pretty lackluster in this effort while others do manage to keep things well knit and lensed in the process and this, on top of of a tight script, good drama and pacing can certainly do a film justice. Stratton achieves this, albeit measuring about as far in its spectacle as you would presume to believe a limited theatrical and VoD run would allow. The bright side is that it largely maintains itself for worthy viewing with action fans, providing an otherwise refreshing and watchable espionage thriller from top to bottom. Taken from the published work of pennamed author […]

STRATTON: Don’t Miss The Official U.S. Trailer For Simon West’s Novel Adaptation Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

Following this year’s release of Saban-acquired action adventure, Salty, Momentum Pictures is following suit on January 5 with the long-awaited run of Duncan Falconer novel adaptation, Stratton. An official trailer has already begun circulating as of a few weeks ago marking the latest campaign for the new espionage thriller since opening in France and other markets previous and pending. Based on the novel series of the same name, STRATTON is directed by Simon West (The Expendables 2, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider) and stars Dominic Cooper (Captain America: The First Avenger, Need for Speed), Austin Stowell (Whiplash, Colossal), Gemma Chan (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Submarine), Thomas Kretschmann (Jungle, King Kong), Tyler Hoechlin (“Teen Wolf,” Everybody Wants Some!!), with Tom Felton (Harry Potter series) and Connie Nielsen (Wonder Woman, Gladiator) and Derek Jacobi (Murder on the Orient Express, The King’s Speech). When a high-stakes M16 mission to intercept […]

STRATTON Locks In On A Fall Theatrical U.K. Release

Lee B. Golden III

What was once slated to be a Henry Cavill action vehicle has since aligned its essentials together with AMC series Preacher star Dominic Cooper front and center for the title role of upcoming action thriller, Stratton. Vertigo will be doling out the film in the U.K. in the coming weeks with a September 1 date stamped and as such, now has its first official U.K. trailer running to help stir anticipation for the new Simon West film based on the work of pennamed author Duncan Falconer. Whilst on a mission targeting a laboratory manufacturing biochemical weapons in Iran, Stratton (Cooper), a determined and dedicated SBS operative working alongside MI5, and his US counterpart, Navy Seal Marty (Tyler Hoechlin) discover that their operation has been compromised and must escape. In the mayhem that follows, the mission goes spectacularly wrong and Marty is mortally wounded.Back at base Stratton is summoned by the […]

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Dominic Cooper Replaces Henry Cavill For British SAS Thriller, STRATTON

Lee B. Golden III

Man Of Steel star Henry Cavill is holding out for a sequel to the aforementioned film amid the line-up Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment have going ahead of next year’s release of Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice. In the meantime, one other property Cavill was developing under his Promethean Productions banner was the British SAS actioner, Stratton, based on the work of pennamed author Duncan Falconer, up until Cavill reportedly parted ways from potentially starring as the title character back in May. Production, however, has since remained on schedule with The Expendables helmer Simon West tapped to direct beginning July 15 in Italy and the U.K. thereafter, and with the clock counting down until then, word has it from Deadline that Need For Speed and Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond star, actor Dominic Cooper is now tapped to lead instead. Falconer, formerly military himself, launched the original […]

British SAS Thriller, STRATTON Loses Its Star

Lee B. Golden III

Well, that just sucks. It was late last year that actor Henry Cavill and his brother launched their own film production banner, Promethean Productions with director Simon West finally aboard three months ago to direct British SAS actioner, Stratton which was set to begin shooting in a week. Financing had been established with a production crew in place, but apparently with just days before principal photography was set to commence, Screendaily‘s latest report has a different story to tell. Cavill has reportedly dropped out of the production due to issues regarding scheduling, casting and script changes as cited by Guy Collins, co-founder of GFM Films who were financing the picture and marketing the film and securing many pre-sales deals with distributors. “After securing many distribution deals ahead of the market, we had a really good Cannes and had closed more deals ahead of production next week,” said Collins. “But just […]

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Simon West To Tackle Cavill-Starring Actioner, STRATTON

Lee B. Golden III

Henry Cavill in THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. From Warner Bros. Pictures (2015) Man Of Steel star, actor Henry Cavill‘s days as a Kryptonian exile-turned-superhuman savior a la Zack Snyder will stake his claim once more next year in the growing ensemble lead-in to the Justice League two-parter in the next several years with Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice. In the meantime, while he’s not taking flight and battling intergalactic foes, he’s got plenty of other big screen titles to look forward to while maintaining other ends of film business behind the camera, including helping to manage the production of the forthcoming book adaptation, Stratton. Cavill, who has been pushing for the project under his shared Promethan Productions banner with brother Charlie and producer Rex Glensy for some time now, will be starring in the title role. Former military serviceman-turned-author pen-named Duncan Falconer launched the original eight-part literary series in […]

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AFM 2014: Henry Cavill Launches Promethean For Action Thriller, STRATTON

Lee B. Golden III

Actor Henry Cavill got a serious career boost when he landed last year’s Man Of Steel prior to Warner Bros going all-in on developing its cinematic universe with a major announcement this season. Aside from this though, the actor still has a career with which bring many facets to consider, and nowadays, Cavill is looking to up the ante from actor to producer under his own banner. As such, word now tells of a new action thriller now on the horizon in the form of Stratton, which has been in the works for a while before landing at Promethean with producers Ileen Maisel and Lawrence Elman of Amber Entertainment Ltd. pitching. Cavill himself will be starring in the title role, based on the story of SBS commando and Northern-Ireland intelligence operative John Stratton, whose fictitious exploits around the world are based on the eight-part book series beginning in 2003 from […]