The world’s last action hero is in talks to star in Parker, a thriller directed by Taylor Hackford (Ray, Love Ranch). The script comes from John J. McLaughlin, who co-wrote last year’s Oscar winner Black Swan. Based on the book series by Donald Westlake, Parker concerns a thief who lives by a code of honor, despite the terrible sins he does commit. He doesn’t steal from the poor, Robin Hood-style, and is ruthless against those who cross the bonds he so rightly lives by.
Hackford told Variety he’s excited to jump into the noir genre and into something he’s yet to do in his career. As for Statham, this does feel a bit different from a filmography full of Transporting and Mechanicing and so on. He touched on some emotional strings in Roger Donaldson’s surprisingly-effective The Bank Job, alluding to chops many wouldn’t think the former Olympian/Underground Criminal/Model had.
Sierra/Affinity, Incentive Filmed Entertainment and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment (who found some modest success with The Lincoln Lawyer this month) will finance the film. Sierra’s got worldwide distribution rights, which they are selling at Cannes next month.
What do you think of Statham? Hackford? Will they fit in a noir together?