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Variety reports that Ray Stevenson (Punisher: War Zone), Stuart Townsend (Queen of the Damned), and Tadanobu Asano (Mongol) have been cast in Thor as The Warriors Three, a trio of Asgardian adventurers and friends of Thor.
Stevenson will play the boisterous Volstagg the Valiant, a character based on William Shakespeare's Falstaff, while Townsend will play the swashbuckling Fandral the Dashing, originally based on actor Errol Flynn. Asano will play the pessimistic Hogun the Grim, who is often the voice of reason for the trio.
Thor starts production in mid-January, with direction by Kenneth Branagh. Chris Hemsworth stars as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, and Anthony Hopkins plays Thor's father, Odin.
Posted 11.17.09 by Ryan -
In many ways, the Punisher is the red-headed stepchild of Marvel Comics. While his counterparts Spider-Man, Wolverine, Hulk, and even Ghost Rider have all enjoyed some degree of success on the big screen, Marvel's cop-turned-vigilante's two attempts at movie adaptations, released in 2004 and 1989, fared poorly. The 1989 version, starring Rocky IV's Dolph Lundgren, didn't even earn a theatrical release.
Can this week's sequel/reboot Punisher: War Zone, featuring Rome's Ray Stevenson in the title role, succeed where its predecessors failed? Check out our Punisher: War Zone review to find out.
Posted 12.05.08 by reelz -
Earlier this week news emerged that Bruno Heller, creator of HBO's Rome, was looking to adapt his highly acclaimed (and tragically short-lived) period drama for the big screen. Yesterday former Rome star Ray Stevenson talked to us about the prospect of reprising his role as the boisterous, hedonistic, and occasionally heroic Titus Pullo in the proposed movie, which Heller has hinted could revolve around the rise of a certain charismatic religious leader:
"Well, when you look at it, people say, 'Oh, you're going to get into the time of Christ,' but nobody knew it was Christ, you know what I mean?" said Stevenson. "The Bible wasn't even written until a hundred years after his passing. And at that time, it wasn't like the year zero, and then we get to the year 34 or whenever. You're still at the height of the Roman Empire. In their society, their system, you've got this emerging religion -- fast-growing, rebellious, upsetting the status quo of your politics and everything, and challenging the basis of your religions and gods or whatever, and there's a power struggle. There's ways of dealing with issues without smashing an egg with a sledgehammer, but these things are recurrent themes throughout the history of mankind."
This week, Stevenson stars as cop-turned-vigilante Frank Castle in Punisher: War Zone. For more of his musings on Titus Pullo as well a preview of his next project, The Book of Eli, check out our exclusive interview.
Posted 12.04.08 by reelz -
This week Marvel Comics' vigilante anti-hero the Punisher takes his latest stab at success on the big screen with Punisher: War Zone. Though billed as a sequel to 2004's The Punisher, it's really more of a reboot, with Ray Stevenson (HBO's Rome) replacing Thomas Jane in the titular role.
Directed by Lexi Alexander (Green Street Hooligans), Punisher: War Zone is significantly more violent than its two Punisher predecessors, boasting a level of carnage rivaling Sylvester Stallone's recent Rambo reboot. How violent is it? Check out our Punisher: War Zone Body Count to find out.
Posted 12.04.08 by reelz -
With the upcoming Avengers movie arriving in 2011, the pressure is on both First Avenger: Captain America and Thor to excite audiences in preparation. Thor has a confirmed director in Kenneth Branagh, but nothing but rumors over who will play the thunder god. Recently, Daniel Craig reportedly turned down the role, but was in fact just "having a joke."
If not Craig, then who? How about Rome's Kevin McKidd? IGN recently spoke to McKidd, who confirmed that he is one of the front-runners for the role and would be "excited" to work with Branagh.
Should McKidd win the part, there seems little chance that the hammer-throwing Asgardian will team up with fellow Rome star Ray Stevenson's gun-toting Punisher, but, you never know, this is Hollywood.
Posted 12.04.08 by Ryan -
Studio interest in post-apocalyptic flicks has exploded in recent years, with big-budget projects like I Am Legend, Wall-E, Terminator Salvation, and Viggo Mortensen's upcoming The Road showcasing various harrowing visions of humanity's future.
One post-apocalyptic project that has managed to fly somewhat under the radar is The Book of Eli, the first movie helmed by sibling directors Albert and Allen Hughes since 2001's From Hell. The film stars Denzel Washington as the “lone hero in a not-too-distant apocalyptic future who must fight across America to bring society the knowledge that could be the key to its redemption,” with said knowledge presumably contained in the titular book.
Little is known about The Book of Eli beyond the above-mentioned Variety synopsis, so today we asked Punisher: War Zone star Ray Stevenson, who recently joined the film's cast, to shed some light on its futuristic setting:
"The world in which it is set is completely uncompromising," Stevenson told us. "The most precious commodity is actually water, because virtually all of the water is poison, toxic -- whether it's due to eruptions from the earth or the poisons in the sky. These very basic things are what drives human nature down to almost animalistic qualities. But what still separates us from the animals?"
Stevenson will play an enforcer sent to hunt down Denzel before he can rescue humanity from its dismal fate. The Book of Eli starts shooting in New Mexico in February, with a release date slated for January 15, 2010.
Posted 12.02.08 by reelz -
Times are good for cancelled TV shows. On the heels of the recent greenlighting of an Arrested Development movie, another short-lived, critically-acclaimed series is making its case for a shot at the big screen. Bruno Heller, creator of HBO's Rome, revealed in the trades today that he's working on a feature film adaptation of his popular period drama. Heller gave few details on the project, indicating only that "there is talk of doing a movie" and that he has a story outline mapped out.
A winner of 11 Emmys during a successful two-year run, Rome was nonetheless cancelled after HBO deemed the show too expensive. Its chances of making the leap to the big screen would likely hinge on the return of its two stars, Kevin McKidd and Ray Stevenson, the latter of whom stars this week in Lionsgate's comic book reboot Punisher: War Zone.
Posted 12.01.08 by reelz -
This weekend, LatinoReview broke the casting news for the title role in the upcoming sequel to The Punisher.
Word is that Ray Stevenson, who is best known for his role as Titus Pullo in HBO's Rome, has been tapped to take on the role of the Marvel vigilante in The Punisher 2. Previous Punishers include Dolph Lundgren and Thomas Jane.
The Punisher 2 will be directed by Lexi Alexander.
Posted 07.22.07 by reelz