'Kingsman: The Secret Service' teaser trailer debuts!

Mark Millar's The Secret Service has received its film adaptation, with the project was greenlit in early 2013, and shooting began in October that year. Like many adaptations, it seems it is not actually true to its source material, and some changes have been submitted all the way along. Some characters have been changed, or rather restructured in order to fit in for the modern-day audience, yet still keeping their epitome of cool. I'd say, a proper spy franchise is on its way.

Teaser Poster.

Retitled to Kingsman: The Secret Service, the plot synopsis deals with a very similar concept to that of Millar's comic book, but the changes that are done introduces us something more mysterious. In the original story, a British Secret Service agent, Jack London (often referred to as Uncle Jack) recruits his incompetent and clumsy nephew, Gary London, to the SIS, taking care of his training, introducing him to first-class lifestyle, and building the gentleman spy persona within his own. However, the film offers us different events. Uncle Jack no longer works for the British government, but rather a secret society related to espionage (very much like UNCLE, or Archer's ISIS, or even Marvel's SHIELD) called "Kingsman", most likely created for the motion picture itself. From what we've seen with the release of its trailer, Gary is no longer related to Uncle Jack, and ceases being clumsy, but rather leads a low profile criminal life, wields a very high IQ, and practices parkour. He is discovered by Uncle Jack due to the potential 'Kingsman' material the latter sees in him.

Kingsman: The Secret Service teaser trailer.

The film stars Colin Firth as Uncle Jack, introduces a newcomer Taron Egerton as Gary Unwin (no longer 'London'), along with Samuel L. Jackson as the main antagonist (Dr. James Arnold, if that is kept as it was from the comics), a computer geek and very wealthy businessman, and Sofia Boutella as Gazelle, a very athletic femme fatale with bionic legs, and the antagonist's right hand. In the comic, Gazelle was a dark-skinned former SIS agent, almost indestructible, yet still with bionic legs and the same position in the villain lair. Michael Caine and Mark Strong also happen to be co-starring as high profile superiors within the organization. Kingsman: The Secret Service is going to be released on 24th October 2014, distributed by 20th Century Fox, directed by Matthew Vaughn who also happens to have written the screenplay with Jane Goldman. Personally, I think this is the James Bond film we have been waiting for in years ever since the departure of Pierce Brosnan as the spectacular secret agent.

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Pierce Brosnan to star in 'The Expendables 4'!

As of recently, we have been seeing too much of Pierce Brosnan running into action flicks, with two of them being spy films serving as alternatives for his post-Die Another Day Bond outings that never came to happen for some reason. This time, however, he is joining to the list of all action-star fame. How so? Well, it is very hard to have Sylvester Stallone impressed, so the old man still has it. Guessed it yet? Allow me...

Speaking to ShortList, Brosnan confirmed that he has already held discussions with his Survivor producer Avi Lerner about a role. And that role he might be getting in a film would be none other than The Expendables 4! Of course, he is joining the all-time action star hall of fame.

"Oh, the offer has come in for the next Expendables," he said. "I just worked over in Bulgaria with Avi Lerner who makes them. He said, 'Would you like to be in The Expendables? I'd love to have you', and I said, 'Why not?' So we'll see."
Brosnan added: "I have no idea which one it would be, I just said yes. It could be Expendables 7!"

This is getting pretty interesting. What kind of role would one think Brosnan would be playing? Probably a MI6 agent associated with the expendables team? or downed spy-turned-mercenary? Or probably a villain? But, Stallone said once he wanted a "James Bond" for his action series, and previously have offered Sean Connery for a role in The Expendables 3, which is due to release later this year. But, Connery himself had it declined, stating he is retired from public appearances for good. Who else to get then? Certainly not Roger Moore, who is older than the first Bond, nor Lazenby who is also retired. Dalton might have been in question, but Brosnan was perfect. Why? His films involved most of the actions than any other Bond film did.

Brosnan filming 'Survivor', in character as 'Nash The Watch Maker'.

The Expendables 3 will open on 15th August 2014 in cinemas world-wide. Starring Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Mel Gibson, among the others in their respective roles.

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Spy Comedy 'Susan Cooper' is on its way!

It looks like 2015 will be a very big year for spy movies, as countless titles in the genre were developed and schedules for release next year. We have been seeing reports coming from the direction of The Man From UNCLE, then Mission: Impossible 5, Pierce Brosnan's November Man and Survivor, Mark Millar's The Secret Service, among the others. But, we never knew a comedy merged with the spy category was coming that soon, with 20th Century Fox to distribute it, with a spy girl in the lead.

Last year, we have been reported that a spy comedy film, named Susan Cooper was in development, with filmmaker Paul Feig taking the helm of the project, both writing and directing it. It was said to be parodying the genre started with the Jason Bourne films starring Matt Damon, but nothing further was mentioned of the plot apart from the main protagonist was going to be named 'Susan Cooper', a spy!

'Secret Agent Girl' by artist Jeff Wack.

From what we see, in the past few days, the production was pushed forward, and we were told it was going to be more like an eighties buddy cop type movie rather than a full-time spy thriller parody, with Melissa McCarthy (sorry to disappoint you with the image above) to be playing the titular character, and more recently, she was joined by Rose Byrne, who played the role of a serious spy in X-Men: First Class (inspired by the Classic James Bond films), Jude Law and more to our surprise... Jason Statham!

And what if Jason Statham was James Bond?

Now, I have no idea how is this going to turn out, but after all, it will definitely be amusing to see an infamous action star like Statham to be appearing in a comedy movie, probably playing another spy alongside Miss Cooper. The film is scheduled for 22nd May 2015, both in the US and UK, with filming to take place in Budapest, Hungary. Statham has always been a busy man and always kept the spotlight focused on him wherever he appeared. For Jude Law? He has experiences with this kind of movies, so the comedy does suit him. And finally for Rose Byrne? Do I really need to talk? Comedy has been coming through her entire career... almost.

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First Look at Rupert Friend as Agent 47

Last time we spoke about the upcoming film adaptation based on the Hitman franchise, what it has been before, and what it is going to be in many possible ways. Now, with the new film simply titled Agent 47 rather than Hitman, named after the lead character of the series, the shooting has already begun with a first look of Rupert Friend dressed as the titular protagonist has been surfaced online through IGN.

His head, in my opinion, isn't shaved enough. And 47 never had any piece of a hair on his head aside from the eyebrows which were brown. So, I have the feel that there is a change in the character's concept from what I recognize. Originally, Agent 47 was a clone of five DNA's of the world's most criminal masterminds. He was the only experiment done by Dr. Otto Ort-Meyer, who lived long enough and survived. However, in the first film adaptation, they merely borrowed anything from the original concepts, and showed 47 to be actually adopted by a league of assassins rather than being cloned, and was trained along with his "brothers" to become the killer he is, nowadays. In the video games, aside from 47, dozens of Mr. 48's existed, who weren't smart enough to escape the clutches of our most deadly assassin. Meanwhile, in the film, other agents existed who have been targeting 47 for the mission he was going after.

First look at Rupert Friend as Agent 47.

Rupert Friend, however, somehow does suit the role, and reminds me of how Agent 47 actually looked like in the first couple of games. Well, I just hope he acts like it, too. Alongside Friend, Zachary Quinto and Hannah Ware co-star in the film, as well. Directed by a first-time feature length helmer, Aleksander Bach, who was used to be handling commercials previously, and the script is penned by Skip Woods and Michael Finch. No release date has been given as of yet, but we expect the film to be coming out sometime in 2015. And in case you were wondering, IO Interactive who were responsible for creating the Hitman franchise are working on another game, which is listed to be in development, rumoured to be called Hitman: Profession, but nothing is clearly revealed about the project yet.

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'Agent 47' is back on aboard!

We all know that motion pictures based on video game franchises often result in utter failure, take the most popular First-Person Shooter title Doom, for instance, which spawned a very awful film adaptation that never made sense in the first place, or Max Payne, being extremely godawful, recruiting an emotionally unstable character instead of a arse-kicking hard-boiled detective out to settle the score. Among those awful adaptations was the 2007 film Hitman, based on the video game franchise of the same name, which did bear only a very little resemblance, but with accurate places at some points.

It starred Timothy Oliphant, the star of Deadwood and Justified television series, as the main protagonist, the nameless Agent 47. Fans have known and wanted the man who made the role iconic, David Bateson, whom the character was based on, as well, to appear in character, headlining the title. But, sadly, it did not happen, and he went to do another film in closer manner and truer to the Hitman concept called Aurum, where he plays Mark Boland, a character who's Agent 47 in all but the name. The games were known to be incredibly stealthy and slow-paced, with the option of going out of cover and pulling the trigger aggressively yet calmly. On the other hand, the film contained sequences shot in slow-motion aspect, going with the over-the-top action material inspired by the Matrix elements.

A comparison between Timothy Oliphant's Agent 47 and the video game version based upon David Bateson.

Despite its mixed-to-negative reviews but being a success financially, a sequel was planned with IESB confirming that 20th Century Fox has hired writer Kyle Ward to pen the script. It was reported that the late American actor, David Hess, who died in October 2011, was picked for a yet-unnamed role. Daniel Benmayor was said to be directing the sequel, with Timothy Oliphant still in talks to reprise his own role. However, Oliphant would later state that he had no interest in returning, and only did the first one to pay the bills for his new house following the cancellation of Deadwood, the television series that aired for only two years. Afterwards, the project was fallen apart in 2012.

A promotional image from the latest release in the video game series, 'Hitman: Absolution'.

In February 2013, it was reported that the next entry in this film franchise will have a brand new storyline ignoring the first film and its timeline. A total reboot they might say, but it never was a long-lasting series to call it a 'reboot', nor a 'remake' because it had nothing to do with the plot written for the latter. And now, the title was renamed to Agent 47, which is the name of the protagonist. It was also reported that the late Paul Walker would star as the titular character, with plans to start shooting the film were arranged in Summer 2013, but had to be postponed due to Walker being on other commitments such as Fast & Furious 7, which he didn't complete filming due to his chaotic and accidental demise.

The late Paul Walker.

Earlier this year, in January, it was announced that Rupert Friend will take over the role of Agent 47, with commercials director Aleksander Bach making his feature film debut helming the project. The screenplay was written by Skip Woods (A Good Day To Die Hard) and Michael Finch (November Man). More recently, two people were cast, with Zachary Quinto being in a yet-unknown role, and Hannah Ware is said to be playing the leading lady. It's rumoured that the locations were scouted in Berlin and Singapore, but the plot details are not revealed, as of yet. Let's see what are they going to do with Hitman this time. Will they change 47's background like they did in the first film? or will they adapt a truer thriller based on the video game series?

Rupert Friend is cast as Agent 47, and Hannah Ware will be playing the leading lady.

'Hitman: Absolution' artwork featuring the dreadful Agent 47.

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'Transporter 4': Meet The New Frank Martin

Back in October 2013, we've talked about the plans being made to produce Transporter 4, along with many speculations we were suggesting on many cases, whether Jason Statham was coming back or not, and who was going to take on the role next. Reportedly, Jason Statham isn't coming back for Transporter 4, but recently Variety reported that he's going to be replaced by Game of Thornes actor, Ed Skrein.

Ed Skrein is a British actor and apparently a musician, who has recently become interested in acting, having in appeared in films such as Piggy, and most notably the British crime drama Ill Manors written and directed by a fellow artist Ben Drew, also knows as Plan B, whom Skrein worked with in his musical career, as well. Then, he came to appear in the third season of Game of Thornes, and currently performing his duties as a recurring character in the British/French television series known as The Tunnel.

Ed Skrein is the next Frank Martin.

Skrein will be the third actor to have portrayed Frank Martin, with the first one being Jason Statham in the first three films, and Chris Vance succeeding him in the television series, which is in talks for renewal, and now, Skrein will be joining these hard men as the next Frank Martin. “We searched everywhere to find a fresh face who had the potential to become an action movie star and we’ve found the right match with Ed Skrein, who’s not only a great actor but also has enough charisma and physical stamina to play Frank Martin with brio,” EuropaCorp (the production company behind the franchise) CEO Christophe Lambert tells the publication.

 

The previous two incarnations of Frank Martin; Jason Statham on the left, and Chris Vance on the right.

The plot details, however, are kept quiet, but Lambert says, the first entry in this rebooted series will have the crew returned to the French Riviera, the site of the original film back in 2002, and give more depth to the main character, including his exploration of the relationship with his father, a role promised to be filled by a prominent actor. It's previously said that Transporter 4 was going to take place in China, so that is another clue we have collected before. What we don't know is that whether the film is going to be called Transporter 4 or just have an original title or a sub-title attached to the eponymous franchise name itself.

Well, that is all we have for now. Thank you for reading, and feel free to express yourself below.

"Survivor": Starring Milla Jovovich and Pierce Brosnan

Being a die-hard action films fan with the elements of espionage has been my passion ever since I was very young, and I mean really young. Alongside, I have always loved Milla Jovovich in any film she appeared, as if she was the only spotlight going around the scenes she got to be having a part in. The fantasy-based action thriller Resident Evil series, then Ultraviolet, .45, The Fifth Element with Bruce Willis, and eventually the classy but over-the-top film set in the 17th century, The Three Musketeers, where she was the only part of the film I literally loved, taking on the role of Milady De Winter, an iconic villainess in the history of literature.

Milla Jovovich

Most important news is that when she was announced to be playing the role of a protagonist in a spy film, and here I was, thrilled more than anyone else. Milla Jovovich in a spy film? My favourite action starlet whom I have based several characters on, going for a genre I literally adore to watch. What could be even better to imagine? Do not worry at all, we are getting there. The film is called Survivor, written by Phil Shelby, currently being produced by the Winkler brothers; Charles and Irwin, and being directed by James McTeigue, who previously took the helm on the infamous film adaptation of V for Vendetta, the more recent Ninja Assassin, and the fictitious take on the life of horror writer, Edgar Allan Poe in The Raven. The rest of the cast feature many famous A-List names, such as Emma Thompson, Angela Bassett, Dylan McDermott, and of course... the great James Bond actor, Pierce Brosnan, who has been expressing too much interest in returning to the spy film arena, having completed his work on November Man months ago, which is in post-production period. Their roles however, until now, remain unnamed, and their parts are yet to be mentioned aside from Milla Jovovich getting to be playing a character who dragsg herself from being a damsel in distress to a knightess in well-shielded armour. As the plot surfaced online, it tells the following:

A State Department employee newly posted to the American embassy in London is charged with stopping terrorists from getting into the U.S. That puts her right in the line of fire and she is targeted for death and framed for crimes. Discredited, she is forced to go on the run while she tries to clear her name and stop a large-scale terrorist attack set for New Year's Eve in Times Square.

It appears this could be a similar film to Angelina Jolie's Salt (2010), where the main character was a double agent, claiming to have been blackmailed by one of the sides, and goes after them to save her own skin and prevent a world-wide chaos. On the other hand, Milla's character doesn't seem to be looking like a traitor, just a framed employee out to prevent a terrorist attack, still interesting on my end.

 Behind the scenes of Survivor, with Milla Jovovich and Pierce Brosnan.

Shooting on the film began on 20th January 2014 as predicted, in London, with Milla seen to be filming an action scene, escaping the clutches of some man in a very fancy suit, played by Pierce Brosnan. It raises suspicions whether the latter is a villain or just a covert operative chasing the blackmailed woman. What it would be like? We have not been told as of yet. The set will remain located in London for five weeks, and then will be moved to Sofia, Bulgaria, for three weeks. Interesting locations, aren't they?

 Milla Jovovich's character is being chased down by someone played by Pierce Brosnan.

It hasn't been revealed when is the motion picture scheduled for its release, but rumours keep telling it will be out sometime in 2015. For further upcoming information on the title, stay tuned.

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