Aside from raiding his own back catalogue for titles to reboot (ahem, Die Hard), Bruce Willis now turns to Charles Bronson’s. The classic action franchise Death Wish is in Willis’ sights, as Deadline reports he plans to lead the Paramount/MGM remake.
Now, it might be a good idea to take this with a pinch of salt, as a proposed revival of the revenge flick has been bouncing around for years now. In fact, Joe Carnahan (Stretch) was attached to direct at one point – oh, what joy that would have been! Alas, he skipped out, and passed the torch onto Gerardo Naranjo (Miss Bala), who is now being replaced by Big Bad Wolves directors Aharon Keshales & Navot Papushado. There’s no word on whether early drafts by Graham Yost (TV’s Justified) or Dan Gilroy (Nightcrawler) are still in play, but we’ll likely find out soon.
Word is that this modernized take will get its cues from Brian Garfield’s novel, which was also used as the basis for the 1974 movie. In case you’re not familiar with either, the story follows a regular joe who turns into a remorseless vigilante after his wife and daughter are raped and murdered.
Bronson was in his fifties when he undertook the role, and Willis is now sixty. So is he a good fit for Death Wish? Or would a younger actor be better for the part? This could easily be the type of role that launches a career, especially if the overall design is to craft a John Wick-esque thriller.
As always, let us know what your thoughts are in the comments below.