The New TRANSPORTER Reboot Starts Production
It might be an emotional process for The Expendables 3 co-star Jason Statham fans who have grown fond of the cockney-accented action cinema badass since leaving a hell of an impression in the first three films of Luc Besson’s Transporter saga began over a decade ago. However, the times have changed and with Statham moving on to other prospects, Besson and his company, so has Europacorp, after announcing its new production partnership with Shanghai-based Fundemental Films last year.
Moviehole now reports this week that production has officially commensed on the new prequel trilogy rebooting The Transporter. Starring former Game Of Thrones co-star Ed Skrein whose attachment was announced back in February, the new film re-introduces its principle hero with a younger iteration of Frank Martin, who is forced to help four women with a heist in order to save his kidnapped father. Skrein is joined by True Blood actress Gabriella Wright and A Good Day To Die Hard co-star Radivoje Bukvic, with actresses Loan Chabanol and Tatiana Pajkovic rounding out the current cast.
Brick Mansions helmer Camille Delamarre is directing from a script by Besson and Exodus: Gods And Kings co-scribes Bill Collage and Adam Cooper, the latter two who are also drafting the screenplay for next year’s Assassin’s Creed film. The new Transporter reboot also comes as part of a production package shared between Besson’s EuropaCorp and Mark Gao also announced last year, which also includes Warrior’s Gate, which was reported this past Spring.
The previous Transporter trilogy featuring Statham earned a total of well over $220 million dollars between all three earlier films, with the first two debuting from 20th Century Fox, and the third premiering courtesy of Lionsgate. As such, fans can expect to see if the new trilogy can match that of its predecessor when the new Transporter trilogy takes off with part 4 sometime next year.
Skrein is also set to appear in the new action horror, Tiger House in UK cinemas later this year, along with the German release of Northmen: A Viking Saga this October. Meanwhile, Besson’s new film, Lucy, opens in North America and Spain in two weeks prior to kicking off the 67th Locarno Film Festival next month.
Stay tuned for more info.
Ed Skrein PHOTO
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