Frank Grillo Gets Bronson Role in 'Death Wish' Remake?

James Badge Dale, Frank Grillo

You may have recently seen Frank Grillo as the asshole plane crash survivor opposite of Liam Neeson and others in The Grey.  He could also be spotted as Joel Edgerton's MMA trainer in Warrior.  Grillo must've made a lasting impression on Grey director Joe Carnahan, as the latter views him as the ideal candidate for his Death Wish remake.  Carnahan sent out a recent tweet to that effect, while also including his personal take on the script he'll be writing for his version of the late Charles Bronson action vehicle. 

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'The Grey' Director Handed the 'Death Wish' Remake

Joe Carnahan's slow rise through the ranks of elite Hollywood directors was given a shot in the arm with The Grey starring Liam Neeson (see our review here), which opened last Friday.  While I was a little disappointed with the film overall, it still had me on the edge of my seat the whole time.  Apparently, MGM and Paramount were impressed enough with the results to hand Carnahan the keys to write and direct their long delayed Death Wish remake of the 1974 Charles Bronson action flick. 

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Liam Neeson Replaces 'A-Team' Co-Star in 'Grey'

Joe Carnahan is still hoping for a big hit, and I'm sure if studios continue to support him, it'll happen. Was The A-Team any good? Not really. But it's probably exactly what Fox ordered.

Carnahan was at one point going to make White Jazz, an adaptation of a James Ellroy book. He wrote L.A. Confidential, which he should be really proud of. But I've interviewed Ellroy and he's a prick, just so you know. But Carnahan's not directing that, at least not now, so there's no point expanding on it. Actually, you get more Google replies with "James Ellory asshole," so you might try that instead. Instead of that, Carnahan is reportedly sadling up for The Grey, about an oil driller who is stranded after an Alaskan plane crash and is the only survivor. His trek to civilization and safety is threatened by wolves, and by wolves, I mean real wolves and not lawyers. Those, as everyone knows, are actually jackals.

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Movie Review - 'The A-Team'

The A-Team Starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, and Jessica Biel Directed by Joe Carnahan Rated PG-13

It's fascinating to watch professional pool players work around a table. Usually, it's not the shot they make that's impressive but the one they set up next, the cue ball rolling to a stop exactly where it needs to be. Just like it was planned. In The A-Team, the cue ball is always perfectly placed, setting up the next move in an intricate strategy devised by Col. Hannibal Smith (Liam Neeson). That any of these occurrences happens as it's designed is absurd. That all of them do could only happen in the movies. And that's really the crux of The A-Team. If you dig spending $20 for a couple movie tickets for sheer escapism that you don't want to think about (and knowing that if you do, the illusion is ruined), this film could be pretty fun. If you like a little more substance - unless, to you, substance is weighed in explosions - then this could be a disappointment. But no matter which side of that fence you're on, it's unlikely that you'll consider this a great action movie or an awful waste of time. For starters, director Joe Carnahan moves the film along pretty quickly; a lot is packed into the film's two hours. Within that structure, there are almost a half-dozen nifty action scenes, which curiously, does not include the film's expensive looking climax. The movie makes general sense, but very few of the specifics ever do. Sure, it's easy to follow that a group of ex-Rangers who are now on the run from the feds might work to secure their own freedom by helping another branch of the government. But extend that out a little bit and include stolen plates to print US currency, an anonymous and halfway incompetent CIA operative (Patrick Wilson), and a female marshal (Jessica Biel) whose actual authority is never really established and primarily exists as an escape valve in the story, since she used to carry on with one of the ex- Rangers. There are other factors, too, but it's hard to keep track of how they all fit together. Hannibal Smith must have a cheat sheet, though, because he sidesteps certain death twice in a week (including being locked in a crematorium), and there's still three other guys to consider. Smith has to concoct a scheme to break Templeton "Faceman" Peck (Bradley Cooper), B.A. Baracus (Quinton Jackson), and "Howling Mad" Murdock (Sharlto Copley) out of their own penal predicaments from a remote location with next to no resources. And, of course, it comes off with out a hitch.

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Brand New 'A-Team' Poster and Trailer

There's a new trailer and a new poster for The A-Team. You can check out the big version of the poster by clicking the image below. I love the idea of going with the extreme close-ups, but the editing on it seems a little too simple. Look at the side of Bradley Cooper's face, for instance, or at least where it should be.

Poster courtesy of Coming Soon I certainly like that it's not Photoshopped to death. These guys have lines in their faces! And pores! How refreshing is that? But all in all, I like it. Now, about that trailer... We've seen a lot more out of The Losers lately, and earlier this week The Expendables debuted a new trailer, so The A-Team was overdue. We see a lot more than we did in the first teaser for this, and it's looking a lot more entertaining than it did before. Director Joe Carnahan may have a half-dozen really cool action scenes for us, possibly more. And Rampage Jackson, who would obviously be the weak link in the cast, kind of seems like a natural, if I may say so. Check it out:

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