Liam Neeson may have once again claimed that he’s retiring from action thrillers, but the fact that both Honest Thief and The Marksman managed to top the domestic box office last year proves that even in the midst of a global pandemic, the 68 year-old is still one of the genre’s most bankable and reliable stars.
Despite reiterating his desire to step away from the type of movies that have seen him enjoy an incredible Indian summer as the grizzled elder statesman of mid-budget actioners, Neeson is currently in Australia shooting Blacklight opposite Guy Peace, which as you could probably guess, is an action thriller.
The actor also has The Ice Road in the can and awaiting release, with the news just breaking that Netflix have swooped in to secure the exclusive U.S. distribution rights for a hefty $18 million. Clearly, the streaming service recognizes Neeson’s popularity and the continued desire from audiences to see him do what he does best, so it’s already poised to draw in big numbers based on his reputation alone.
Written and directed by Jonathan Hensleigh, no stranger to action himself having scripted Die Hard with a Vengeance and Armageddon, executive produced Con Air and pulled double duty on Thomas Jane’s The Punisher by writing and directing, The Ice Road finds Neeson’s driver leading a rescue mission over a frozen ocean to save a group of workers trapped in a collapsed diamond mine out in the frozen northern regions of Canada.
Of course, the above image shows Liam Neeson wielding a gun, so there’s obviously much more to the story than that, and we’ll find out exactly what it is when The Ice Road arrives on Netflix later this year, although no release date has been confirmed as of yet.
