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Gun expert Taran Butler praises director Michael Mann's knowledge of firearms and his portrayal of a shootout during Heat's bank heist sequence. Butler shares particular praise for Val Kilmer's fast and efficient reload scene, which is shown in its entirety with no cuts. Heat's shootout sequence remains one of the best ever filmed due to the highly-trained actors involved and unique sound design choices.

A gun expert breaks down Heat's bank heist scene and why Val Kilmer is so impressive in it. Released in 1995, Michael Mann's Heat chronicles a showdown between professional bank robber Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) and obsessed cop Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino). The film remains one of the most beloved entries in Mann's filmography, due in large part to a stunning bank heist sequence in which McCauley's crew, which includes Kilmer as Chris Shiherlis, engage in a shootout with Hanna's task force on the streets of downtown L.

‘If you didn’t laugh, you’d cry’ isn’t just the correct British response to any exasperating situation, it must also be Tony Schumacher’s screenwriting mantra. His crime drama The Responder would be unwatchably bleak if it wasn’t also so bloody funny.

Series one put response officer Chris Carson (Martin Freeman) through the wringer so thoroughly that it was a wonder he survived. His childhood pal Carl, a small-time drug dealer who’d been paying him for police intel, didn’t, and in a characteristically heroic/risky attempt to help Carl’s widow, Chris gave her the rucksack of stolen cocaine that had kicked off all this mess. Now it’s six months later and guess what? Chris’ problems are far from over.

Series two of The Responder is just as buzzing with life and wry observation as the first. Chris’ night-time police patrols offer up a...

Fans think Austin Butler is in preparation for his rumored Heat 2 role in a new video of the actor in gun training.

Now starring in Dune: Part Two following his Elvis success, Austin Butler has quickly become one of today's biggest stars. There have been rumors of Butler secretly getting cast in Michael Mann's upcoming Heat sequel, taking over Val Kilmer's role in the original film. While this hasn't been confirmed, the rumors are heating up on social media with footage of Butler in gun training making the rounds. It's not clear why Butler is in training, though many fans are excited about the prospect of seeing the actor in an action movie, whether or not it's for Heat 2.

Austin Butler doing gun training with Taran Tactical. The actor is rumored to play Val Kilmer’s character in ‘Heat 2’ from Michael Mann. pic.twitter.com...

One of the intense action scenes in Michael Mann’s neo-noir epic Heat is so realistic it’s been used by the United States Marines in weapons training. Heat is a taut cat-and-mouse thriller starring Al Pacino as Vincent Hanna, an obsessive LAPD lieutenant, and Robert De Niro as Neil McCauley, the notorious bank robber he’s desperate to catch. This marked the first time Pacino and De Niro appeared on-screen together; they’d both acted in parallel timelines in The Godfather Part II, but they didn’t share scenes in a movie until they made Heat.

Michael Mann's Heat has been lauded as one of the greatest and most influential movies in the action genre, with some of the most iconic set-pieces ever put on film. Its influence can be seen in everything from The Dark Knight to the video game Grand Theft Auto V. Hanna and McCauley are...

Val Kilmer had a bit of a reputation as a difficult actor to work with for much of his career. But if the documentary "Val" taught us anything, it's that he's a real artist with a gentle soul. The image of him adorned with his late mother's jewelry, recovering from throat cancer, creating art at his Los Angeles home directly next door to his daughter's house, is an affecting and tender one that has stayed with me since I saw the 2021 doc.

These days, the actor has had to step away from the limelight due to the illness that robbed him of his voice, health, and much of his career since 2015. Thankfully, he's starting to re-emerge, first with his cameo in "Top Gun: Maverick" and hopefully more appearances in the future. But if he never acted again, he could rest safe in the knowledge that he racked up multiple impressive...

Sam Heughan may not have landed the James Bond role in 2006's Casino Royale, but Sas: Red Notice let him flex his action hero muscles. When it was confirmed Pierce Brosnan wouldn't be returning as Bond for Casino Royale, various names such as Clive Owen or Henry Cavill were suggested. While Daniel Craig was a well-regarded character actor, it came as a big surprise when he was confirmed to take on the role. He was, however, the top choice of the producers, and after five hugely successful James Bond movies and Craig being considered one of the best actors to play 007, it's fair to say their gamble paid off.

Another performer who auditioned for Casino Royale is Scottish actor Sam Heughan (Outlander). In his memoirs Waypoints: My Scottish Journey he revealed he had a secret audition for the film, but after Craig landed the part, Heughan was told he "wasn't edgy enough" for Bond.

Sam Heughan was an outlier when it came to casting James Bond.

As he reveals in his new memoir, the “Outlander” star auditioned for the role ahead of Daniel Craig’s casting in 2006 film “Casino Royale.” Heughan told Entertainment Weekly that the process to play 007 was “quite an experience,” but ultimately, the timing wasn’t right.

“It was a stage in my life where I probably wasn’t ready for it,” Heughan said. “But I wonder what would have happened if I had got it.”

In upcoming memoir “Waypoints: My Scottish Journey,” available October 25, Heughan wrote that his audition was “cloaked in so much secrecy” that he “felt like a real-life agent,” mirroring the spy story itself.

“It was so hush-hush that nobody ever confirmed that I was being considered for the main role, but I knew,” Heughan penned, via EW. “Of course, it blew my mind to think I...

This article contains spoilers for Sas: Rise of the Black Swan.

Sas: Rise of the Black Swan centers on a hijacking: terrorist leader Grace Lewis (Ruby Rose) and her Black Swans commandeer high-speed train Eurostream while it’s under the English Channel, and the Sas stud Tom Buckingham (Sam Heughan) attempts to thwart the hijacking while protecting his partner Sophie (Hannah John-Kamen), who he intends to marry.

Based on the novel Sas: Red Notice by former British soldier Andy Mcnab, the film is an unflinching political action thriller that ends with a massive explosion, a bloody knife fight to the death, and a massive government cover up. On the surface, this is pretty typical fare for an action-thriller grand finale. But there’s actually a lot going on beneath the surface that sets the stage for an even more explosive story down the line.

Let’s break down what really...

"Sas: Red Notice: is the new British action feature, directed by Magnus Martens, based on the novel by Andy McNab, starring Sam Heughan ("Outlander"), Ruby Rose ("Batwoman"), Andy Serkis, Tom Wilkinson, Hannah John-Kamen, Tom Hopper, and Noel Clarke, now in release:

"...a groom’s wedding plans become interrupted by a train hijacking, intended to blow up the 'Channel Tunnel'..."

Click the images to enlarge...

Sam Heughan, best known for his work in Outlander, and widely tipped to be the next 007 – is showing off his special agent skillset in Sas: Red Notice, a thrilling action flick about a terrorist attack in the Channel Tunnel. To mark the film’s release, out on Sky Cinema this weekend, we had the pleasure of speaking to the man himself, as he runs us through his rigorous training regime, alongside author Andy McNab to help prepare him for this challenging role. We also discuss his recent performance in To Olivia, and what it was like embodying Hollywood icon Paul Newman.

Watch the full interview with Sam Heughan here:

Synopsis

Tom Buckingham, a special forces operator, is taking Dr. Sophie Hart from London to Paris to propose. When their train is deep inside the Channel Tunnel, Grace Lewis and her team of heavily armed war criminals seize the train...

After one season of The CW's Batwoman, star Ruby Rose quit, handing over the cape and cowl to Javicia Leslie for Season 2. So what has Ruby Rose been up to since walking away from the coveted DC Comics superhero role of a lifetime? She's been busy making action movies. And today, we have a look at her latest project titled Sas: Red Notice.

The first trailer for Sas: Red Notice comes packed with a ton of action and thrills. But it is not to be confused with The Rock's Red Notice, which completed principle photography late last year and is currently in post-production. That thriller co-stars Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot, and will premiere on Netflix sometime in 2021. So, in the meantime, we have this similarly titled action thriller to tide us over, which has a firm release date of March 16 On Demand.

Starring Sam Heughan, Ruby Rose, Tom Wilkinson and Tom Hopper,...

"Sas: Red Notice: is the new British action feature, directed by Magnus Martens, based on the novel by Andy McNab, starring Sam Heughan ("Outlander"), Ruby Rose ("Batwoman"), Andy Serkis, Tom Wilkinson, Hannah John-Kamen, Tom Hopper, and Noel Clarke, releasing March 12, 2021:

"...a groom’s wedding plans become interrupted by a train hijacking, intended to blow up the 'Channel Tunnel'..."

Click the images to enlarge...

Exclusive: Vertical Entertainment and Redbox Entertainment have acquired North American rights to action-thriller Sas: Red Notice from Parabolic Pictures’ Laurence Malkin and former special-forces operator Andy McNab.

The film is based on McNab’s bestselling novel and stars Sam Heughan (Outlander), Ruby Rose (Batwoman), Andy Serkis (Black Panther), Hannah John-Kamen (Ant-Man and the Wasp), Tom Hopper (The Umbrella Academy), Noel Clarke (Bulletproof) and Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton).

The film follows Tom Buckingham, a suspended special forces operator, who is taking Dr. Sophie Hart from London to Paris to propose. When their train is deep inside the Channel Tunnel, heavily armed mercenaries, led by Grace Lewis, seize control of it and hold everyone hostage. Grace threatens to blow up the Channel Tunnel and declare economic war on a government that has its fair share of secrets to keep. Unarmed and cut off from his counter terror team, Buckingham is the only...

Sky Cinema are bringing the action to the week with a brand new trailer for ANdy McNab adaptation ‘Sas Red Notice’ featuring a host of familiar faces.

Tom Buckingham, a suspended special forces operator, is taking Dr Sophie Hart from London to Paris to propose. When their train is deep inside the Channel Tunnel, heavily armed mercenaries, led by Grace Lewis, seize control of it and hold everyone hostage. Grace threatens to blow up the Channel Tunnel and declare economic war on a government that has its fair share of secrets to keep. Unarmed and cut off from his counter-terror team, Tom is the only hope that Sophie and the other passengers have to make it out alive. To save them he must embrace the unique psychology that makes Grace such a formidable adversary.

Based on the best-selling novel from Andy McNab, the film is directed by Magnus Martens and stars Sam Heughan,...

Former Focus Features exec Jonathan Halperyn and Korda Studios’ Daniel Kresmery are in Berlin talking to partners about their recently minted Central and Eastern Europe-based content and production business Hero Squared.

Halperyn spent over a decade at Focus Features in finance and strategy on the international team. Kresmery established the production service arm of Korda Studios. Their new outfit is based in Budapest.

They have set out to provide production expertise and services for projects that originate from, or can shoot and use post- production services in, the Cee region. It has already been involved with sci-fi film “Archive,” which Independent is selling at the Efm, and Andy McNab adaptation “Sas: Red Notice,” which will star Sam Heughan is being sold in Berlin by Altitude.

Hero Squared said it is hoping to team with partners on projects at an early stage, and use its local smarts to help producers navigate the incentives available locally.

Magnus Martens’ (Jackpot) under-the-radar action-thriller Sas: Red Notice has wrapped production in London, Paris and Budapest with cast including Ruby Rose, Andy Serkis, Tom Wilkinson and Sam Heughan. Here’s a first look at Rose and Heughan (Outlander).

Based on the book by former UK soldier turned popular author Andy McNab, Heughan (Outlander) plays Tom Buckingham, the lead character in all three books. In Sas: Red Notice, Buckingham’s marriage plans are upended by the hijacking of a train and a plan to blow up the Channel Tunnel. Rose (Batwoman) plays Grace, the scion of a private military company. Serkis (Black Panther) portrays Clements, a liaison officer for the Prime Minister, while Wilkinson (Michael Clayton) is Lewis, the patriarch of a private military company.

Hannah John-Kamen (Ant Man and the Wasp) takes on the role of Dr. Sophie Hart, who finds herself in the middle of the coordinated attack, Tom Hopper...

Sky has taken the U.K. and Ireland rights to “Sas: Red Notice,” the Magnus Martens’ action thriller based on the novel by former British special forces operative turned bestselling writer Andy McNab. Sky Cinema will release the film in 2020 and it will have a theatrical run and play on the pay-tv platform. Altitude has boarded sales and will have the film at the Efm in Berlin.

The movie takes in events in the corridors of power as well the efforts of an off-duty Sas soldier, Tom Buckingham, to thwart a terror attack on a train running through the Channel Tunnel, which links England and France. Buckingham is injured but is the only chance of survival for the passengers on the train.

Sam Heughan (“Outlander”) takes the lead role as Buckingham. The cast also includes Ruby Rose (“Batwoman”), Andy Serkis (“Planet of the Apes”), Tom Wilkinson (“Michael Clayton”), and...

Magnus Martens directing Sas thriller.

Magnus Martens’ action thriller Sas: Red Notice has wrapped production after shooting in London, Paris and Budapest. Altitude Film Sales is taking the title to this week’s European Film Market in Berlin.

Based on the novel by UK writer Andy McNab, the film stars Outlander’s Sam Heughan and John Wick Chapter 2’s Ruby Rose in the story of Tom Buckingham, an elite operator in revered British special forces unit the Sas. It is based on McNab’s own experiences.

The cast also includes Andy Serkis, Tom Wilkinson, Hannah John-Kamen, Tom Hopper, Owain Yeoman,...

Currently filming a remake of MGM's "The Magnificent Seven" with Denzel Washington, director Antoine Fuqua is in early talks with The Weinstein Company to direct and executive produce what will be an adaptation of bestselling Nick Stone novel series by British author Andy McNab.  McNab is the author of a number of action thrillers (he's written 16 volumes total). His Nick Stone franchise is based on an ex-sas soldier working on deniable operations for British intelligence. The series draws extensively on McNab's own real-life experiences and knowledge of Special Forces soldiering (he's a former Special Air Service sergeant himself who was honored with the...

The Weinstein Company is reportedly close to winning an auction for the rights to produce a TV series based on the character of former Sas agent Nick Stone, the hero of sixteen bestselling novels by Andy McNab.

Antoine Fuqua is in early discussions to direct the pilot and be an executive producer on the show which will adapt the books about the Stone character who struggles to mix life with his covert work.

In the books Stone left British Intelligence after the shooting of three Ira volunteers in Gibraltar, now he roams the world as somewhat of a mercenary just trying to keep his head above water.

McNab is a former Special Air Service sergeant who was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

Source: Deadline...

Exclusive: The Weinstein Company is close to winning an auction for a series of 16 bestselling novels by Andy McNab. The intention is to turn the books into a series revolving around former British Army regiment Sas agent Nick Stone. Already, Antoine Fuqua is in early discussions to direct the pilot and be an executive producer. CAA is running the auction. McNab, a former Special Air Service sergeant who was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, has written 16 volumes…...

Silver Reel to finance action film based on Andy McNab novel as further pre-sales are secured.

Lionsgate UK has picked up distribution rights to Sas: Red Notice, the action thriller set to set Luke Evans (Dracula Untold, The Hobbit).

In addition, Silver Reel Partners - the Zurich-based film financier that has put money into Under the Skin and the upcoming Maggie and A Hologram For the King - has come aboard to finance the film, which is based on an Andy McNab novel.

As previously annouced, SquareOne Entertainment has distribution rights for German-speaking territories but other presales include Odeon for Greece, Pt Amero for Indonesia, Sahamongkol for Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, Silverline for the Philippines, Gulf for pan Middle East, and D Production for Turkey.

The film will start shooting on April 13 in London, Paris and Budapest with Hungarian production company Pioneer Stillking Films.

Nick Love (The Sweeney) directs from a screenplay by Laurence Malkin and Chad Thumann...

Luke Evans ("Immortals," "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"), is slated to play the lead in an adaptation of Andy McNab's 2012 action thriller novel "Sas: Red Notice" at Altitude Film Entertainment, Parabolic Pictures and Vertigo Films.

The story is set in the Channel Tunnel where, one hundred meters underground, twenty accused war criminals are holding four hundred people hostage.

Only one man can get them out alive, Tom Buckingham (Evans), an Sas operator who is trying to save his relationship with the woman he loves. The conflict rages from Central London to the heart of Paris, where Tom uncovers a conspiracy.

Nick Love ("The Sweeney") directs from a screenplay by Laurence Malkin and Chad Thumann. Will Clarke, Laurence Malkin, Allan Niblo and James Richardson will produce.

Evans will next be seen in Universal's "Dracula Untold" and "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" later this year.

Source: Screen...

Exclusive: Luke Evans, star of The Hobbit, is to play the lead in an adaptation of Andy McNab action thriller Sas: Red Notice.

Altitude Film Entertainment, Parabolic Pictures and Vertigo Films will produce the action thriller and Luke Evans, whose upcoming films include Dracula Untold and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, is attached to play Tom Buckingham.

Altitude Film Sales introduces the project to buyers today in Cannes and will partner with Wme Global on the U.S. rights. SquareOne Entertainment has acquired distribution rights for German-speaking territories.

Nick Love (The Sweeney) directs from a screenplay by Laurence Malkin and Chad Thumann based on the bestselling novel by former Sas operator Andy McNab.

Will Clarke, Laurence Malkin, Allan Niblo and James Richardson will produce the film. Executive producers are McNab, Mike Runagall, Andy Mayson, and Jack Drewe. Daniel Findlay will co-produce.

Sas: Red Notice is an action thriller set in the Channel Tunnel, where...

'Your loyalty to your fellow soldiers is absolute,' says ex-sas officer John Richards, on the remarkably realistic Mark Wahlberg drama about sharp-shooting Navy Seals battling al-Qaeda

I served all over the world in the 1990s. There are several key similarities between the work of the Sas and the Navy Seals, the elite American soldiers depicted in this film. Both involve highly trained soldiers operating in very small groups in remote enemy territory. The mountains of Afghanistan we see in the film are very like the area of Kenya where British soldiers train today.

The Seals face a moral dilemma: kill a group of Afghans in order not to compromise their mission, or let them go unharmed. It's a familiar situation. Not only is Lone Survivor based on Marcus Luttrell's account of a real 2005 Seals mission, there have been a number of similar incidents over the years. Bravo Two Zero,...

The Girls creator hits back at a porn parody of her comedy show, Doug Stanhope wades into the Oklahoma God debate, and Dutch TV is slammed for satirising the Woolwich murder

This week's comedy news

In a week when Jerry Lewis told the world that female comedy "bothers [him]", two tales of fightback – of a sort. Girls creator Lena Dunham has criticised news of a pornographic parody movie of her hit HBO comedy. "Most TV shows have been turned into gross and weird porn parodies," the Splitsider website tells us, but Dunham isn't prepared to shrug this one off. "Girls is, at its core, a feminist action while [the XXX film's producer] Hustler is a company that markets and monetises a male's idea of female sexuality," wrote Dunham. And also, "a big reason I engage in (simulated) on-screen sex [in Girls] is to counteract a skewed idea of that act created by the proliferation of porn."

Meanwhile,...

Ryan Lambie Aug 21, 2017

21 years on, Heat is still an important, influential film. We look at how Michael Mann's research made for a powerful crime drama...

"This is based on observations. This is based on people I have met, people I've known, people I've sat with and talked to. Thieves, cops, killers. It's not derived from other cinema, it's based on research." Michael Mann

Cool, measured, melancholy and stylish, Michael Mann's Heat was a box office hit in 1995, and 18 years on, its impact can still be felt. A story about two weary men on either side of the law - one a cop married to his profession, the other a career criminal with no intention of going straight - Heat is also a movie about Los Angeles, in all its sparkly opulence and grimy malaise. Other directors have attempted to bottle some of Heat's atmosphere and move it to another city,...

Feature Ryan Lambie 8 May 2013 - 06:50

Eighteen years on, Heat is still an important, influential film. We look at how Michael Mann's research made for a powerful crime drama...

"This is based on observations. This is based on people I have met, people I've known, people I've sat with and talked to. Thieves, cops, killers. It's not derived from other cinema, it's based on research." Michael Mann

Cool, measured, melancholy and stylish, Michael Mann's Heat was a box office hit in 1995, and 18 years on, its impact can still be felt. A story about two weary men on either side of the law - one a cop married to his profession, the other a career criminal with no intention of going straight - Heat is also a movie about Los Angeles, in all its sparkly opulence and grimy malaise. Other directors have attempted to bottle some of Heat's...

From a full programme of film and stage adaptations to a new James Bond novel, unpublished works by Rs Thomas and Wg Sebald and a new prize for women writers, 2013 is set to be a real page-turner

January

10th The Oscar nominations are announced unusually early this year. Keep an eye out for a bumper crop of literary adaptations, including David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, Yann Martel's Life of Pi, the David Nicholls-scripted Great Expectations, as well as Les Miserables, Anna Karenina and The Hobbit.

18th A new stage adaptation of Henry James's The Turn of the Screw at the Almeida theatre in London. In the year of the centenary of Benjamin Britten's birth, his musical version will also feature around the country in both concert and stage performances.

24th The finalists for the fifth Man Booker International prize will be announced at the Jaipur festival.

Jason Statham has dropped out of starring in Echelon, the movie adaptation of Andy McNab's book Firewall. Expendables star Statham had been earmarked for the role of Sas agent Nick Stone in the movie, but McNab told Digital Spy that the action star is no longer available to take on the role. "That was originally what was going to happen, but he's just too committed," McNab said of Statham. "There are so many films he's got lined up, there wouldn't be a slot for him to do it." Asked if McNab had a replacement for Statham and a director lined up, he replied: "No. Basically there's three or four that have been flagged up, but they're still going through the process of reading scripts and all that. "Some directors will only deal through certain actors and certain actors (more)...

Andy McNab has revealed that he enjoyed working on Battlefield 3. The Bravo Two Zero author and former Sas operative collaborated with developer Dice to advise on the game's script, visuals and motion capture. McNab told Digital Spy: "I've been asked to get involved in games but normally it's just a tag on the back for a bit of marketing or do some motion capture, but this one, because there is a real good story to it as well, and that's the reason I wanted to get involved.

"It was really looking at dialogue [of soldiers]... there's no maybes, or there's no negative talk, everything is positive or aggressive. So it's 'you will be at, I will, you will, we will', that sort of thing. "It was changing dialogue, and mainly because you've got a number of different scripts at different levels, it's (more)...

Kill List (18)

(Ben Wheatley, 2011, UK) Neil Maskell, MyAnna Buring, Michael Smiley, Emma Fryer. 95 mins

Who knew there was a missing link between Mike Leigh, Andy McNab and The Wicker Man? That's how unpredictable this macabre and outlandish tale is, but it unfolds in a credible modern-day Britain scarred by foreign wars and domestic recession. Circumstances lead a blokey hitman and his partner to accept a dodgy new assignment – and by the time they start asking questions, it's too late.

Attenberg (18)

(Athina Rachel Tsangari, 2010, Gre) Ariane Labed, Vangelis Mourikis, Evangelina Randou. 97 mins

Fans of Dogtooth will be ready for another prime dose of Greek oddness. Beneath the animal impersonations, silly walks and bad sex lies an intelligent, intimate study of human behaviour.

Fright Night (15)

(Craig Gillespie, 2011, Us) Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, David Tennant. 106 mins

A teen vampire horror remake that benefits from superior effects, a shrewd Las Vegas setting, and some lively comedy.

The heat of the battle intensifies as Dice and Electronic Arts announces two editions of Battlefield 3 and the unique pre-order items available at participating retailers in UK. Soldiers and squads looking to claim battlefield superiority this October have an exciting array of options available when pre-ordering Battlefield 3 from select retailers. Fans worldwide are already gearing up to play in squads and are pre-ordering the game in record numbers. Battlefield 3 pre-orders are up more than 10x Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

Battlefield 3 is proving to be one of the most anticipated games of 2011, having already earned over 50 awards including ‘Best Action Game’ and ‘Best Online Multiplayer Game.’ Critics praise the game for its intense gameplay experience, powered by the Frostbite™ 2 state-of-the-art game engine that delivers superior performance in character animation, visual rendering, audio and physical destruction. To accompany the game, Orion Publishing will release a novel written by the highly decorated ex-sas operator...

Electronic Arts has announced a novel based on Battlefield 3. Battlefield 3: The Russian will be written by former Sas operator Andy McNab and co-author Peter Grimsdale. McNab was a best-selling author for his book Bravo Two Zero, which told the story of his own experiences in the Gulf War. Battlefield 3: The Russian tells the back-story of Ru Special Forces operator Dima, one of the soldiers players will control during the single-player campaign of Battlefield 3. "It is impossible for any single medium to fully capture the emotion and intensity of war. The Battlefield 3: The Russian novel is one window into the experience, and the game is another. They complement each other perfectly," said McNab. In addition to the tie-in (more)...

Forty years on, few books have changed the literary landscape like Frederick Forsyth's political thriller

In 1969, a young British journalist returned to London after spending 18 months reporting on the Biafran war. His name was Frederick Forsyth. He was 31 years old and, by his own account, flat broke. Needing money quickly, he did what any self-respecting hack would have done: he wrote a thriller.

Initially entitled The Jackal, it told the story of an unnamed assassin hired to kill President de Gaulle. The novel took Forsyth just 35 days to write. He had no great literary aspirations and certainly no intention of revolutionising an entire genre. Forsyth's heroes were John Buchan and Rider Haggard: he simply wanted to tell a riveting story.

This month marks the 40th anniversary of the novel's publication. It is no exaggeration to say The Day of the Jackal has influenced a generation of thriller writers, from Jack Higgins to Ken Follett,...

For every Eric Bana, there is a Jason Statham. The Star Trek star is apparently out and The Mechanic star is almost in to Hyde Park International‘s Echelon, based on the novel Firewall, written by Andy McNab. Stunt coordinator Simon Crane (Titanic, The Island, The Tourist) is making his directorial debut with this action film, which sounds about as perfect as can be in terms of transition. [Deadline]

The plot: an ex-spy is commissioned to kidnap a Russian mafia boss. Western forces get involved, entangling underlords and undercover spies alike. And it stars a stuntman-turned-action star Statham. It’s like The Transporter meets The Mechanic meets, well, most everything Statham’s done thus far.

All that said, the Brit has yet to garner enough of a following to be box office gold. Luckily, Statham films are usually made on the cheap, generating enough worldwide revenue to make it worth it for all those involved.

Jason Statham is reportedly being lined up for the lead role in espionage thriller Echelon after Eric Bana dropped out.

Almost a year ago, it was announced that Hyde Park Entertainment has picked up the rights to Andy McNab’s 13-part espionage ‘Firewall’ novel series centered on the character of Nick Stone. The British actor is set to play Sas soldier Nick Stone who attempts to halt the Russian Organized Crime from trying to gain access to the world’s largest computer intelligence database.

Deadline says that Statham hasn’t yet signed on for the film, but is looking to take on the role that Eric Bana (The Hulk) was a few months later attached to. The project will be helmed by Simon Crane which will be his feature directing debut. Simon Crane was previously been engaged as a stunt coordinator on The Tourist and Salt.

It will be the...

It’s been a while since there’s been much movement on Echelon, the film adaptation of Andy McNab’s Firewall, which follows the exploits of former Sas tough guy Nick Stone. For a while, according to Deadline, Eric Bana was the man for the job, but he’s no longer attached. His replacement? Someone with just a teensy bit of experience in action films. Say it with us: Staaaaaaaaathaaaam! ‘Tis true: Jason Statham is said to be interested in taking over the lead in the film, which finds stunt master Simon Crane (last seen working on the likes of Salt and Surrogates, stepping up from his usual job of overseeing the action and being second unit director, to the big gig.Firewall is actually the third novel in the Stone series, which means the producers are thinking about this one as a likely franchise if it goes well. The...

Reports are coming out that Jason Statham may be replacing Eric Bana in the thriller Echelon. Bana was in talks for the film last summer, but has dropped out to pursue other interests. Now Statham is interested in the lead role in a film that follows a man “caught between the Russian Mafia and western secret agents trying to get their hands on the Echelon computer program.”

The film will be based on the third book in a series written by Andy McNab about a fictional Sas agent Nick Stone. The third book is titled Firewall, but it seems producers want to stay away from that name, probably because Harrison Ford already made that movie a few years ago. As it turns out, McNab is actually a former Sas officer himself so he brings in some of his own experiences in this film. We should also say that “Andy McNab” is just a pseudonym.

Almost a year ago, it was announced that Hyde Park Entertainment has picked up the rights to Andy McNab's 13-part espionage novel series based around the character Nick Stone. Then a few months later came news that Eric Bana (The Hulk) was offered the lead role. The actor apparently passed because Deadline is now reporting that Jason Statham is circling the role, but hasn't been signed yet. The name of the film is "Echelon" and it is based on the third novel in the series, called "Firewall." The story follows a Sas soldier as he attempts to prevent a terrorist organization from accessing the world.s largest computer intelligence database. Stunt coordinator Simon Crane (The Tourist, Salt) will make his feature directing debut.

It’s a bit misleading to say Jason Statham could “return to action” with the secret agent thriller Echelon, since the muscle-bound, former Olympic diver with a monotone manner has never really deviated from working in the action genre, truth be told.

Statham is nevertheless interested in starring in the adaptation of Andy McNab’s “Firewall”, a project that Eric Bana was eying last year as a possible new franchise to become associated with, but has seemingly passed on doing since.

Former Special Air Service agent Andy McNab wrote “Firewall” back in 2000, and it’s the third entry in a literary franchise that revolves around (appropriately enough) an ex-sas man-turned British Secret Intelligence Service operative, Nick Stone. Statham would naturally star as Stone, a ruthless and highly efficient agent who accepts a freelance job to kidnap a Russian mafia ...

Click to continue reading Jason Statham May Sign Up For ‘Echelon...

When you need a rugged action star capable of making the dispatching of his enemies look like a thing of casual beauty, who's the first actor you think of?  Apparently, it's Eric Bana. The Aussie actor was attached to star in Echelon, a new flick based on Firewall, the third book in a popular series of novels by Andy McNab. For whatever reason, Bana vacated the role and now Jason Statham appears...

No, this project has nothing to do with the financial face-off between Paul Bettany and Harrison Ford, but rather it's an adaptation of Firewall, the third book in Andy McNab's 13-book series following Special Air Service (Sas) soldier Nick Stone. Eric Bana had apparently been interested in the role, but Deadline now reports Jason Statham (The Transporter, The Mechanic) is now in the midst of circling the action thriller which is now going by the title Echelon. The story follows Nick Stone as he finds himself caught between the Russian Mafia and western secret agents trying to get their hands on the Echelon computer program. I'm just glad this one won't have Statham taking on a blue collar laborer title as a cover-up for being an assassin. As for the talent behind the camera, stunt coordinator Simon Crane (whose work can be seen in Titanic, Salt and ...

Get ready for Jason Statham to find a new way to take his shirt off during an action sequence. Deadline reports that the actor is currently circling the lead role in Echelon. Eric Bana was once attached for the lead in the thriller based on the novel Firewall, the third book in Andy McNab’s 13-book series.

Read more on Jason Statham considering lead in Echelon…...

Jason Statham is being lined up to star in 'Echelon'. The British actor is set to play Sas soldier Nick Stone who attempts to foil a gang of terrorists from trying to gain access to the world's largest computer intelligence database in the movie based on the novel 'Firewall' by Andy McNab. Eric Bana was previously attached to the project which will be helmed by first time director Simon Crane. Ashok Amritraj, Bonnie Timmermann and Jason's frequent collaborator Steve Chasman will produce, according to Deadline.com The movie is being tipped as a franchise as it is based on the third book in a 13-part series. Jason is currently starring as the voice of Tybalt in Elton John and David Furnish's animated 'Gnomeo and Juliet' and has a number of projects lined up. He will next star in 'The Killer Elite' and 'Safe' and is expected to start filming...

Bye bye, Eric Bana. It looks like “The Mechanic’s” Jason Statham is the latest action hunk of beef to “circle” Hyde Park’s adaptation of Andy McNab’s action novel “Firewall”, which will be called “Echelon” by the time it reaches theaters, presumably because “Echelon” sounds cooler than “Firewall”, which sounds computer nerdy and not nearly as echelon-y. Bana was previously attached to the film, but seems to have fallen by the wayside. Statham doesn’t have a deal to do the movie yet, but he’s apparently interested and in talks. Given that this is exactly the type of movie Statham was born to do, Hyde Park would be fools not to snatch him up post haste. Based on the series of action-adventure books by former Sas member Andy McNab (“Bravo Two Zero”), “Echelon” would star Statham as Nick Stone, a former Sas badass who finds himself stuck...

Jason Statham is reportedly circling the thriller Echelon.  The project will mark the directing debut of stunt coordinator Simon Crane.  As you may recall, Crane was originally set to direct the adaptation of Kane & Lynch, but dropped off the project.  According to Deadline, the film is based off novel Firewall and would have Statham playing "Nick Stone, an Sas soldier who finds himself caught between the Russian Mafia and western secret agents trying to get their hands on the Echelon computer program."  Presumably the role requires lots of punching, kicking, shooting, and growling in a menacing-yet-charming brogue.  Firewall is the 3rd book in a 13-book series by former Sas soldier Andy McNab, so if the movie is successful, Statham could be looking at a potential franchise.

Jason Statham is in talks to join the cast of the thriller "Echelon" to play the lead character of Nick Stone in "Echelon", a film adaptation of Andy McNab's espionage novel "Firewall" for Hyde Park Entertainment and Imagenation Abu Dhabi reports Variety.

In the book, the third of a series of twelve starring the character, Stone is an ex-sas officer turned freelance intelligence officer who works on risky deniable operations for cash.

Hired to kidnap a Russian mafia warlord and deliver him to St. Petersburg, he soon finds himself raiding a house in the cold wastes of Estonia where Russia has launched an online offensive to tap into the West's military secrets - secrets the Russians, the Americans, the Brits and rival mafia gangs all want to get their hands on.

Eric Bana was previously attached to the lead role. Simon Crane makes his directorial debut on the project...

Action star Jason Statham is looking to join the new thriller Echelon, although a deal is not in place yet. Eric Bana had previously been attached to star.

Echelon is based on Andy McNab's novel Firewall, the third in a series of 13 books which follows ex-sas agent Nick Stone, who Jason Statham will play if he signed on. The story centers on Stone, who becomes caught in the middle of Russian and American covert forces trying to acquire the powerful Echelon computer system.

Longtime stunt coordinator Simon Crane is making his directorial debut on Echelon. Simon Crane previously handled the stunt work on such action projects as Salt, The Tourist, and the upcoming Men in Black III.

Ashok Amritraj is producing through Hyde Park Entertainment. Echelon is the first project of a $250 million deal the company signed with Imagenation Abu Dhabi to produce up to 20 movies over the next seven years.

We suppose it makes a bit of sense that Eric Bana's discarded projects will filter down to one-note actor Jason Statham, but it's still a bit of weird switch-up. Deadline reports that action hero Statham is now eying "Echelon," a project that Bana was in talks for last summer. The franchise potential project is based on the series of books written by Andy McNab about fictional Sas agent Nick Stone. The first book to be adapted, "Firewall," is actually the third in the series and will be retitled "Echelon," most likely to keep it from sounding like a lame internet…...