Comedian and actor Mike Epps has climbed aboard Eli Roth’s Death Wish remake, joining the likes of Bruce Willis, Vincent D’Onofrio and Breaking Bad‘s Dean Norris.
First reported by Deadline, the outlet confirmed earlier today that Epps – best known for The Hangover, Fifty Shades of Black and Uncle Buck – will assume the part of Dr. Chris Salgado, a playboy doctor and close friend to Willis’ Paul Kersey. Very much considered to be the anchor point of MGM and Paramount’s redo, Death Wish will open at a time when Kersey’s entire livelihood “has been destroyed by a violent crime against his wife and daughter. Frustrated that the bad guys for the crime were never brought to justice, Kersey starts hunting them down.” Not bad for a mild-mannered New York City architect.
A remake of the Charles Bronson thriller of the same name – itself an adaptation of Brian Garfield’s 1972 novel – Paramount’s original Death Wish adaptation spawned four sequels of diminishing returns. The 1974 original invariably proved the most successful of the bunch, but throughout its lifespan the cult franchise became synonymous with an over-the-top, almost gleeful approach to violence. Eli Roth, director of Hostel, Cabin Fever and The Green Inferno, isn’t likely to shy away from that reputation but embrace it, all the while slapping on a modern lick of paint.
Production on Death Wish is currently ongoing across Montreal and Chicago. Deadline didn’t mention a release date at this time, but we’ll be keeping you updated as more information comes to light.
