Brick Mansions, the American remake of the French film District B-13, has attracted the attention of Hollywood heartthrob Paul Walker. The script for the adaptation was written by Luc Besson, co-writer of the original, and Robert Mark Kamen, who collaborated with Besson on Taken.
Rumors are circulating that Walker was approached to take on a lead role alongside David Belle, the star of the original version and the sequel, District 13: Ultimatum. Interestingly enough, Belle is also credited as the creator of Parkour, a sport made popular in recent films such as Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, as well as the original District B-13.
Most likely, the setting for the remake will be Chicago. Walker will play the role of an undercover detective chasing down a weapon of mass destruction stolen by a big time drug dealer in the ghetto aptly named Brick Mansions. His sidekick in the film would be Belle, playing an agile character that is familiar with the landscape and is not afraid of the drug dealers that run the area. Belle’s role was highly sought after by Hollywood actors, but Besson said he would not make the movie unless Belle was involved.
The film will be produced by Besson’s Europa Corp and as of now they are being tight lipped on who the director will be. The original version was directed by Pierre Morel, who also directed Taken and From Paris With Love – also written by Besson. The director of the remake is rumored to be another protege of Besson’s but there is no confirmation yet on who it will be.
Walker would most likely film Brick Mansions before reprising his starring role as Brian O’Connor, an undercover cop turned fugitive, in Fast and the Furious 6.
We’ll keep you updated when we hear more.