Actor Wesley Snipes (Passenger 57, The Art Of War, Blade) won’t have much of an issue with finding work now that he is out of jail and a free man. Sylvester Stallone confirmed via Twitter on Sunday night that Snipes will be involved in the third installment of the epic ensemble action film franchise, in addition to further assurance that actor and filmmaker Mel Gibson will direct the film.
“Mel is a MAGNIFICENT director! Pure passion on every level .” Stallone says. “…we’d be blessed to have him.. A REAL long shot, but LIFE is a long shot -right?” A long shot indeed, especially in the eyes of the public. The 57-year old actor, screenwriter and filmmaker best known for his roles in such films as Ransom, Payback, Braveheart, and successful film series titles such as Mad Max and Lethal Weapon, as well as his directorial hits like Apocalypto and The Passion Of The Christ, has had his own share of bumps in the eyes of the public, to say the least.
Snipes, 50, is newly out of prison and is said to be in great shape and good health after serving three years for tax evasion. He is already busy at work getting back on screen and in his element, with the upcoming release of the Western-action horror thriller, Gallowwalker, among other things.
Stallone is best known for playing underdog characters in longshot situations, like Rocky Balboa and John Rambo, so his sentiments here understandable when it comes to voicing his admiration for Gibson and the amazing work is done throughout the year. In addition, The Expendables and The Expendables 2 have both been blockbuster successes, raking in so far well over a half a billion dollars for Lionsgate. The films come in efforts to battle the so-called age of the “dying action genre”, with a cast that includes Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Jet Li and Jason Statham, in the company of other high profile action stars and actors like Eric Roberts, Bruce Willis, Gary Daniels, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steve Austin, Scott Adkins and Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Needless to say, the love is there, with a huge and dedicated fan base that remembers the glory days of 80’s and 90’s films that have immortalized the American action film genre. So it probably will not be a huge challenge for Mel Gibson to over come, at least in my opinion. And I am sure for most film goers, it will be great to see Gibson and Snipes back at doing what they do best, and away from the controversies that have hindered them.
But what do you think? Comment below.