Though all eyes have been trained on Furious 7 following its explosive TV spot that revved onto the scene during last weekend’s Super Bowl, Universal has secured the immediate future of one of the racing franchise’s key players in actor-musician Tyrese Gibson, after the studio snagged the actor to star in new action flick Desert Eagle.
News comes by way of Deadline, with the report suggesting that the project could serve as a star vehicle for Gibson with the Fast and Furious franchise coasting into its twilight years. In fact, it’s understood that the actor — best known for playing Roman Pierce in Universal’s street-racing series — will executive produce this new actioner, after scripting a draft alongside Mike Le (Patient Zero) some time ago.
And while the original script was penned by Gibson and Le, the report states that Universal has brought on Matthew Stuecken and Josh Campbell to rework the first draft before pushing ahead with production.
From what we understand, Desert Eagle revolves around two border patrol agents who happen across a no-nonsense drug cartel situated within a Native American casino. It’s unclear who will star opposite Gibson for the thriller, though now that his involvement in the project is secured, Universal will be eager to fill in the supporting role as soon as possible.
Because in reality, Desert Eagle has the potential to act as a viable platform for the actor to showcase his dramatic chops, given that he has been restricted to a member of a larger ensemble cast during his appearances in the Fast and Furious franchise — 2 Fast 2 Furious notwithstanding.
Tell us, what do you think of Gibson’s desire to pursue action films post-F&F? Let us know in the comments section below.
