Looks like Hitman is getting a reboot in the form of a film titled Agent 47 and set to play the titular assassin is Paul Walker. 20th Century Fox have hired Skip Woods (A Good Day to Die Hard) and Michael Finch (Predators) to pen the film, which will try to give the series a fresh start after the awful 2007 attempt that starred Timothy Olyphant. Production is expected to start in June in Singapore and Berlin with commercial director Aleksander Bach making his feature debut.
For those unfamiliar with the popular videogame series that the film will be based on, it follows a “cloned assassin-for-hire, whose flawless record places him in high demand among the wealthy and elite.” And yes, once press is done for Fast and Furious 6 Paul Walker will shave his head for the role.
Now, before you start formulating opinions on this one, let’s point out a few things. For one, Skip Woods is the same guy who wrote the original Hitman movie, which despite grossing almost $100 million on a $25 million budget, did quite poorly with critics and didn’t really impress many fans either. So why is FOX bringing back the same writer? Why not try someone new? That has us a little curious.
Secondly, Paul Walker is hot right now, and we don’t just mean looks-wise. He’s starring in the upcoming Fast and Furious 6, which has just debuted its first trailer today after debuting an extremely successful teaser during the Super Bowl. People are eating up the new Fast and Furious film and Walker is about to become a bigger box office draw than ever before.
Lastly, the most recent Hitman game, Hitman: Absolution, was released just a few months ago to positive reviews and was well liked by fans, so interest in the character is still there.
When you look at the situation, and take everything into consideration, it all makes sense (except for the fact that Skip Woods is back). While this project may have many a journalist and critic shaking their head in disappointment, financially, it does make sense for 20th Century Fox to produce this film and it’s easy to see why they cast Walker in the role.
Now, will the film be any good? I doubt it, but at the very least I’m sure it will be mildly entertaining. And besides, it has to be better than the 2007 version, right?
What do you think? Are you looking forward to seeing the character get a chance to redeem himself with Agent 47?
