New Film Role for Butler - Hunter Killer

http://www.fusedfilm.com/2011/10/gerard-butler-cast-as-lead-role-in-antoine-fuquas-hunter-killer/

“Hunter Killer,” is moving forward pretty quickly and has now cast Gerard Butler. It seems the Scottish actor has been earning strong reviews for his dramatic turn in “Machine Gun Preacher.” We reported a few weeks ago that director, Antoine Fuqua was directing the film based on the novel, ”Firing Point” by George Wallace and Don Keith.

The story follows an untested submarine captain who must work with a Navy SEAL team to rescue Russia’s president, who’s taken prisoner during a military coup. The two sides team to stop a rogue Russian general from igniting World War III. Butler is in talks to play Capt. Joe Glass, the commander of the USS Toledo, while none other than star Sam Worthington is being eyed for the role of Bill Beaman, the leader of a special Navy SEAL unit called the Dev Group.

“Hunter Killer” is skedded to open Dec. 21, 2012, the day Disney would’ve opened “Lone Ranger” before it was just pushed to May 31, 2013 that will put it up against “World War Z,” Fox 2000′s “Life of Pi” and Universal’s “untitled Judd Apatow” comedy.

Relativity Media has been very aggressive with “Hunter Killer,” earmarking the picture for a December 2012 release date for months as Phillip Noyce decided whether he was the right man for the director’s chair. Though he left the project in August, Relativity continued to show faith in the adaptation of George Wallace‘s best-seller “Firing Point,” bringing on Antoine Fuqua to direct. And with a winter start date being eyed, it looks like they have their leading men.

Gerard Butler is in negotiations to play Captain Joe Glass, the inexperienced submarine commander who ends up forming an alliance with a Navy SEALS team to rescue a kidnapped Russian president. There appears to be two more plum roles yet to be cast, with the Navy SEALS leader and the evil Russian general behind the kidnapping. While we’re hoping it’s a character actor all-star for the latter, Variety claims the project is looking to involve Sam Worthington as the former.

This is not the first time Fuqua and Butler’s paths have crossed, as the two were linked to “Afterburn,” a ridiculous-sounding science fiction comic adaptation from superproducer Neal Moritz. Both projects make sense for Butler’s career trajectory, as he’s been alternating between tough guy action roles and softer, less conventional parts for a while now, and “Hunter Killer” would be the final Butler-starring film of 2012, coming after the romantic comedy “Playing The Field” and the inspirational surfing drama “Of Men And Mavericks.”

Worthington just wrapped his own surfing film “Drift” and seems to have a clear schedule for the near future, as he’s been linked to a number of science fiction projects that probably wouldn’t start shooting anytime soon. He was supposed to feature in “The Last Days Of American Crime” for F. Gary Gray, but it appears that fell through, as it was being shopped at Cannes for a September start date.

It looked like “Hunter Killer,” a collaboration between screenwriters Jamie Moss, John Kolvenbach and Arne Schmidt, would have a clearer path to success after “The Lone Ranger” departed from that December 21st release date. But that period remains crowded, as “Hunter Killer” will face off against “The Life Of Pi,” Judd Apatow‘s “This Is Forty” and “World War Z.”

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/2011/10/13/gerard_butler_to_become_hunter_killer/

Gerard Butler Recruited for Antoine Fuqua's Thriller 'Hunter Killer'
October 13, 2011

Source: Variety
by Ethan Anderton

Back in November of last year, we found out that director Antoine Fuqua might team up with Gerard Butler for an adaptation of Red 5 Comic's sci-fi comic book Afterburn. Before that Butler was also in the running to lead the director's adaptation of Consent to Kill, but neither have come to fruition. Now it looks like Butler and Fuqua will finally end up working together though on another completely different project. Variety reports that Relativity Media has set their Machine Gun Preacher star to lead Fuqua's Hunter Killer, an adaptation of the yet-to-be-published Navy SEALs thriller Firing Point. More details below.

The story follows an American sub commander and a Navy SEAL team that must rescue the Russian president and defeat a renegade admiral who’s attempting a coup. The two sides team to stop a rogue Russian general from igniting World War III. Butler has been set to play Captain Joe Glass, the commander of the USS Toledo, and apparently Sam Worthington is being lined up to play Bill Beaman, the leader of a special Navy SEAL unit called the Dev Group, though it doesn't sound like his casting is official yet. Ironically enough, Hunter Killer is opening on the December 21st, 2012 release date that was just vacated by Disney's now less expensive big screen take on The Lone Ranger. The film will still have to contend with World War Z that weekend though, along with Judd Apatow's comedy starring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann. Sounds like a good weekend at the movies next winter.

http://www.firstshowing.net/2011/gerard-butler-recruited-for-antoine-fuquas-thriller-hunter-killer/

With Gerard Butler earning strong reviews for his dramatic turn in Relativity Media's "Machine Gun Preacher," the Scottish actor has reteamed with the studio that supported his passion project, as he's in negotiations to star in Antoine Fuqua's "Hunter Killer."
Based on the novel "Firing Point" by George Wallace and Don Keith, story follows an untested submarine captain who must work with a Navy SEAL team to rescue Russia's president, who's taken prisoner during a military coup. The two sides team to stop a rogue Russian general from igniting World War III.

Butler is in talks to play Capt. Joe Glass, the commander of the USS Toledo, while "Avatar" star Sam Worthington is being eyed for the role of Bill Beaman, the leader of a special Navy SEAL unit called the Dev Group.

Original Film's Neal Moritz and Toby Jaffe are producing with Relativity CEO Ryan Kavanaugh. Relativity's recently promoted co-prexy Tucker Tooley will exec produce the pic, adapted by Jamie Moss, John Kolvenbach and Arne Schmidt. Studio is currently targeting a winter start date.

"Hunter Killer" is skedded to open Dec. 21, 2012, the day Disney would've opened "Lone Ranger" before it was pushed to May 31, 2013. Pic's current box office competition includes Paramount's Brad Pitt starrer "World War Z," Fox 2000's "Life of Pi" and Universal's untitled Judd Apatow comedy.

Butler next stars in Ralph Fiennes' "Coriolanus" and Relativity's untitled omnibus comedy from producers Peter Farrelly and Charles B. Wessler. Thesp recently wrapped Gabriele Muccino's soccer comedy "Playing the Field" and will soon begin filming Curtis Hanson's surfing pic "Of Men & Mavericks."

Butler is repped by Alan Siegel Entertainment and CAA, which also reps Worthington and Fuqua.

Contact Jeff Sneider at jeff.sneider@variety.com


http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118044392#.Tpc-o100y_w.facebook

JJ - Pics at link:
http://justjared.buzznet.com/2011/10/13/gerard-butler-in-talks-for-hunter-killer-lead-role/

Gerard Butler in Talks for 'Hunter Killer' Lead Role

Gerard Butler arrives on the set of his new movie, Of Men and Mavericks, on Thursday (October 13) in Santa Cruz, Calif.

The 41-year-old Scottish actor is reportedly in negotiations to star in Hunter Killer, which is based on the novel “Firing Point.”

The “story follows an untested submarine captain who must work with a Navy SEAL team to rescue Russia’s president, who’s taken prisoner during a military coup. The two sides team to stop a rogue Russian general from igniting World War III,” according to Variety.

Gerard would play Capt. Joe Glass, the commander of the USS Toledo, while Sam Worthington is being considered to play the leader of a special unit called the Dev Group.

Sounds kind of like "The Hunt for Red October", which I loved back in the day.

Sean Connery's Scottish accented Russian was awesome. No one seemed to care back then. Or maybe I was just too young to know about any criticism.

BTW, if Sam gets cast, it will be Aussie and Scottish sounding American accents all over the place....

*sigh*

Dallas wrote:

Sean Connery's Scottish accented Russian was awesome. No one seemed to care back then. Or maybe I was just too young to know about any criticism.

Sean doesn't pretend to do accents. He speaks one with his accent, period. Besides, Russian with Scottish accent is really cute.

If I recall correctly, Sean just spoke with his natural Scottish accent in THFRO.
I just realized that my previous post reads like I thought Sean tried a Russian accent and and the Scottish came through. I meant that his Scottish accented Russian commander spoke like a Scot, not that his russian sounded Scottish accented....

Good grief, that isn't clearer.....hopefully you all know what I mean.
I loved that movie.

I know what you meant. I agree and I love that Sean doesn't try to speak with any other way than his natural Scottish speech. No matter what language he speaks, he sounds Scottish.

However, Kevin Costner speaking American English in a British lore period piece is not cute.