Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Kane Enabled

Why, Bruce, why!?! At least it's not a Uwe Boll vehicle:

Bruce Willis is in negotiations to play a death row inmate in "Kane & Lynch," a thriller based on a video game.

Willis' character, Kane, and a schizophrenic killer named Lynch, are sprung by Kane's former team so that he can retrieve a stolen fortune. Kane travels to Los Angeles, Japan and Cuba, with Lynch acting as the team's watchdog in order to save his wife and daughter.

The Lionsgate project is eyeing a fall start, with a hunt now on to find an actor to play Lynch. Veteran stunt coordinator Simon Crane will make his feature directing debut on the film. The game was published last year by Eidos Interactive.

Yet again, Hollywood looks to milk videogames for movies. I didn't play the Kane & Lynch game but, from what I know of it, the story wasn't mind-bendingly fantastic. The game also didn't sell all that well. Certainly I can't imagine a huge built-in audience for this property. Given these factors, did they really need to license it? You mean, there aren't any other psychotic criminal buddy film projects floating around Hollywoodland? I gotta think there are at least five floating in Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller's shared slush pile. At any rate, I guess it's getting made. Not to underline the- shall I call it interesting? choice of film, it's being directed by a stunt coordinator. I won't besmirch the man, he could be the next John Woo (Honk Kong version) but (I can't help it) it doesn't bode well.