During the spring, Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale and director Bryan Singer came within a whisker away of making the hotly tiped Aaron Guzikowski script Prisoners; a dark, gritty, kidnap thriller in the vein of Taken into a feature, only for Bale to instead take a liking to the script for The Fighter, another project Wahlberg had championed and needed a co-star for, and they made that instead.
Wahlberg was still happy because he finally had a man to make his three year passion project with but at the same time, he just wouldn’t let Prisoners die. He is a big believer in Guzikowski’s script and he always knew he could get a big name to act opposite him.
According to the locals in Derby, Connecticut… the town the movie will shoot in next February, that man will be Hugh Jackman.
By my calculations, Jackman’s free until he shoots Real Steel for Shawn Levy in June, so I think this could be solid info.
When Singer left, Wahlberg quickly sought out his Shooter director Antoine Fuqua to helm, and it’s with his direction this project will finally be realised.
Here’s the plot we were given earlier this year…
After his 6-year-old daughter and her friend are kidnapped, a small-town carpenter butts heads with a young, brash detective in charge of the investigation. The father is a Bible-reading, deer-hunting survivalist. The cop, meanwhile, can’t wait to get to the city. Feeling failed by the law, the father captures the man he believes responsible and begins to torture him in a desperate attempt to find out what he did with the girls, whom he’s convinced are still alive.
Wahlberg/Jackman – a good old fashioned character revenge thriller – from the director of Training Day – in the vein of Taken/Gran Torino/Edge of Darkness – with a black listed screenplay described as being a genre game-changer like Se7en and Silence of the Lambs.
Yup… I’ll be seeing that.
via – coming soon
31 Comments
I was really looking forward to seeing this with Christian Bale. Hugh Jackman, not so much.
Jackman in Prisoners? That’s great news to me.
I want to see hugh jackman doing this!!!! sounds great
Just don’t think Jackman will pull it off as well as Bale would have.
lets give him a chance don you think?
I agree with Layne, Sorry I like Jackman he’s really good at action and rom com, but I’ve always found him a little flat in the drama genera. I’m glad Bale isn’t doing this role the character he was being asked to play seemed boring I always thought he and Wahlberg should have switched roles so maybe that’s why he walked away.
Bale should have done it.
Why do you think Wahlberg is still attached? Searching back, I can see that WME were trying to put together a package that included script, director and stars but that seems to have fallen through. Instead the script was sold with no director or cast attached. Fuqua appears to have signed up at the end of September but the only recent casting rumour is this one about Hugh Jackman.
Jackman is great. I am glad Bale isn´t doing it because boy, he is so boring in every role. He is still the same. Jackman was wonderful in The Fountain so this might be a chance to show to nay-sayers how great he is.
And I don´t think Wahlberg is attached anymore…I am curious who will be the co-star.
@Tara It seems you are pretty sure that Jackman is gonna be the Main Star! LOL!! I didn’t want to be rude before but I have to say after reading your disrespectful post. Jackman SUCKS! He is the only one who appears the same again and again in every film and he will never, listen Tara, NEVER BE EVEN NEAR TO BALE REFERING TO ACTING! I’m sorry about my words but you have been very, very unsuitable. There was no need to insult Christian even more knowing that they are good friends and if you are a Jackman fan you should know about it.
Well, I didn ´t mean it to insult anybody. Now you are insulting. I just think Bale isn´t too good, that´s all. I saw a lots of work of both of them and Jackman is just better for me. They are both very different and I don´t get the constant comparing of them – for me, Jackman is much more versatille but I understand Bale has also fans. As every actor. But to say that one or another sucks, now, that´s rude.
And I don´t want Jackman to be a main star. If he was in the role of a detective, I´d be happy.
Tara Maybe I got to far by saying Jackman sucks. I have to admmit that I like Hugh and I used to think he is fine but you said what you said and it is writting down this site. You said Bale was boring and always the same,you tried to compare them and I, a big fan of Bale, have felt insult by your words. Don’t try to twist your words. And I am not gonna say anything more.
leigh: Jackman did only two rom-coms many years ago. And he had only pure action role in X-Men and that awful misstep in Van Helsing. Other his roles are very different. I think you are confusing him with Gerard Butler who is switching between rom-coms and action ;-)
If Jackman is in, I am in. I would like to know who will co-star in this. I wouldn´t mind Bale in some role (a father or a detective). They were great partners in The Prestige.
Absolutely Obsessed with Bale!
Oh, please, I hope this is true! I would love to see Hugh Jackman in this.
@Gloria: Of course she’s sure Hugh Jackman will be the Main Star because Hugh Jackman is always the Main Star in his movies, whether they suck or not. To say something like ‘Bale is boring’ is just an opinion and I know many who believe that he is. What’s your opinion though is what I couldn’t get. First you go Jackman sucks and then you go, well, he doesn’t suck at all. Why? Because initially you thought that ‘your’ Bale was insulted so you had to insult ‘her’ Jackman back.
Anyway, what I wanted to say is that Jackman is everything but ‘flat’ as a drama actor. He just hasn’t done many drama films. Have you seen ‘The Fountain’ or ‘Erskineville Kings’, his first australian film? I bet not. And in The Prestige he was superb and no, you don’t have to start comparing him with Bale (what’s the problem with that is something I’ll never get) cause if I remember well their roles where completely different (I wonder what Bale would have done with Jackman’s elegant, pure showman character). But he was huge in his recent Broadway play (have you heard of A Steady Rain?) which I saw on November. He was f**king unbelievable. Jackman just needs to do more drama films and choose scripts better. I understand he wants to do different things (he’s done everything, from musical to comedy to drama to action to romance) but he really needs more drama films so there won’t be any more disbelievers in his talent. That said, I really can’t wait to see what he’ll do in PRISONERS, is he’s indeed involved in it. I read the script, it’s great and Jackman would fit the father’s part like a glove, imo.
I’d like to see Jackman in it. And everybody who thinks he is a little flat in drama should see his movies before he writes such things. Watch for excample Erskineville Kings or The Fountain.
@Erzi: No I’m not confusing Jackman with Butler. I can see how you would think that considering both men have pretty much made the same choices in the movies they’ve made. Action and romcom litter their resumes and I like both styles of movies but when it comes to real drama Bale shines above the rest.
@Ryan: I’ve seen most of the above films you named and i would have loved to seen him on Broadway because that is where he dose shine as an actor he just can’t seem to bring that acting ability he has in live theater to the screen. Maybe its the roles he chooses. He picks two types of roles: upper crust good guy or rugged salt of the earth good guy. He tired playing the heavy (villain) once in Deception and it was painful to watch. I was not impressed with him in The Fountain at all. It could have been simply I didn’t like the film so maybe that’s why his performance didn’t do anything for me. The Prestige was great I thought he was great in it. But, to me Jackman seemed to to bring his character back from Kate & Leopold and insert it into this film there really was no difference in the two characters. I like Jackman he’s very good in the roles he chooses but he takes no risk with his acting and to me as someone who works in theater that is what acting is supposed to be about taking a chance and finding something new in each character you take on. There are some actors willing to do this Bale, Norton, Deniro, Seymore Hoffman and Depp just to name a few. I hope Jackman, if he chooses to make this, dose well. But the character work up on this role is nothing special which is why i think Bale walked away in the first place.
leigh: Jackman doesn´t take risks? He has done pretty much everything in his career, including, for example, hosting Tony Awards and Oscars, which is a very thankless job. It was turned down by top actors because they don´t want to destroy their image. Image and Hollywood stereotypes is something Hugh doesn´t care about, which is also the reason why he is such a great actor.
If you say that making The Boy from Oz on Broadway, where he played a gay character with his movie career rising and in the time when he was considered an action star wasn´t a huge risk, then I don´t know what you mean by risk. No offense inteded here, so if I answered harshly, then I apologize but your post was wrong in so many ways that I just had to.
Hugh will do a great job with any script you hand him. He is a very flexible actor who gets to the heart of whatever character he’s playing. Hugh (as Christian Bale) has a very powerful word ethic. We’re very lucky there are some wonderful actors and actresses out there among them (in my opinion) James McAvoy, Ewan Macgregor, Hugh Darcy, Edward Norton, Mark Wahlberg, Hugh Jackman & Christian Bale – all terrific actors who are polished, not full of themselves and love what they do. Mark Wahlberg loves directing and producing as well as acting – I love “In Treatment” staring Gabriel Byrne who I have loved watching since he played Professor Bhaer in Little Woman (my perfect man) yep, he’s fictional — to my chagrin. It’s wonderful to know we have some great movies to look forward to in 2010 & 2011. Way to go gentlemen!
If you admit Jackman shines in theater, then I don’t know why we’re still questioning his ability as an actor. Last time I looked, Theater was for actors with -sorry- balls. Not some Hollywood movie. And Jackman doesn’t just do theater. He does good theater. Go check the awards he’s earned for his theater work. Or the reviews.
1. If Bale is soooo better an actor than Jackman, why the first one was only 4 movies listed as future projects on imdb while the second one has 15? I thought great actors are always in high demand. Curious…
2. If Bale is soooo better an actor than Jackman, why the first one has not even one important acting award in his resume (win or nom) while the second one has won one Tony, two Emmys, one Drama Desk Award, one Theater World Award and has been nominated for a Golden Globe, an AFI and another two Emmys? Curious again…
Hugh Jackman is the best in my opinion…and that is just that…my opinion…just like everyone else. I absolutely love Hugh Jackman as an actor, own all of his movies to date with the exception of the Australian made movies, and I am still trying to get my hands on those, and try to follow everything he is doing. I can’t wait for the play “Houdini”, and am very excited about it. Hugh is a very versatile actor and all around entertainer. We haven’t had one like him in a long time, and I feel so very blessed to be able to witness his acting and entertaining, and hope to for many years to come.
Outraged Fan wankery is always an excellent read! A + drama!
Ryan you don’t know anything about movies or acting if you believe that Jackman is better than Bale. I don’t care howmany awards has or has not received Christian, this is a stupid thing to think about. Come on Penelope Cruz has won an Oscar, and a Golden Globe…I hope Bale is never winning an Oscar. Please I’ll pray for that! I know very well who is Christian Bale and for me and millions of people HE IS THE ACTOR!
Hey people stop fighting!
Bale was supposed to play Loki, the cop! Jackman replaced WAHLBERG! His character is Keller Dover (the father). I suppose that if Wahlberg is still attached to this he’s Loki now. So leave Hugh alone. Seriously…
Gloria: Chill out, OK? I can say the same about you – if you think that Bale is better than Jackman, then you don´t know anything about acting. See? Why the hell are fans of these two so offensive? I personally don´t like Bale much and I am a big Hugh´s fan but this is ridiculous.
LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! Hugh…!!!! LOL! LOL! LOL!
Ey People! Bale is the one and only! no doubt!
Why do Hugh´s and Christian´s fans hate each other? Or why Bale´s fans hate Jackman and vice versa? I am sure they don´t give a damn and they worked together so they probably are OK with each other. I like both so I really don´t understand why you should insult them. As for The Prestige, I slightly prefered Jackman but they are both so different that I really don´t understand why they can´t BOTH to be great? They have totally different style of acting so there is no reason to fight.
I am looking forward to this movie and I am sure Hugh will do great.
omgigod!hugh jackman in this is totally HOT!!!soooo obssessed with jackman!maybe jackman just pulled it off better than bale?so excited n cant wait til it comes out!love jackman!