Caffeinated Clint
The Fish and Urban in “Transit” for Kaye
Laurence Fishburne is the new Sam Jackson.
Karl Urban is the new Bruce Willis.
Bruno and Sam – set to reunite on the film for the first time since 1995’s “Die Hard : With a Vengeance” – have dropped out of the long-gestating “Black Water Transit”.
Instead, Laurence Fishburne and Karl Urban will lead the picture.
No word why Willis is out – seems suss, since he’s been developing the film for years – but Jackson’s peeps are saying the actor hurt his back and couldn’t manage the film at this time. Hmm.
What an interesting life this film has had. It’s had more stars attached to it than a Superman movie. Originally, if memory serves me right, Kevin Bacon and Vin Diesel were going to go star in the picture. A year or so later and its Willis and Jackson.
Fishburne’s always great, especially in a big-time action picture, and Urban’s already impressed in his few roles (“Pathfinder”, “Doom”) so the pic’s still got half a chance of being decent.
Tony Kaye (“American History X”) is helming the adaptation of Carsten Stroud’s novel of the same name for Capitol Films. About a shipping company owner who tries to get his junkie son freed from prison.
According to Variety Willis and former producing partner Arnold Rifkin had been developing the project under their Cheyenne banner, which was based at Revolution. Musicvid helmer Samuel Bayer was slated to direct Willis two years ago. When Willis departed, the studio considered Vin Diesel or Samuel L.Jackson for the lead role. Ultimately, they ended up with both Willis and Jackson. Here’s hoping Fishburne and Urban asked for pay-or-play deals.
