Hugh Jackman to star in Prisoners

[Hunter Rider]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i5d4e99d39342e8b8378a523b07ba1391

Aaron Guzikowski's dark thriller generating lots of interest

One of the hottest scripts in Hollywood right now?

It's a dark thriller from a writer who just signed with a major talent agency two weeks ago -- but has the attachment of Mark Wahlberg and the interest of nearly every major studio in town.

The previously unknown Aaron Guzikowski, a Brooklyn native who flew out to Los Angeles just a few weeks ago and signed with Endeavor, is behind "Prisoners," a project said to have echoes of "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Seven."

The story concerns a Boston family-man whose 6-year-old daughter and her best friend are kidnapped and then takes matters into his own hands by in turn kidnapping the man he suspects responsible.

Guzikowski was noticed two years ago by management company Madhouse Entertainment, which then worked to develop this script through dozens of iterations (the company also will produce).

But all that toil seems to paying a quick dividend.

The Endeavor-repped Wahlberg, a Boston native who also plays a distressed father in Peter Jackson's upcoming "Lovely Bones," attached himself to the script shortly after the Endeavor signing. (Endeavor would not comment on the project.)

Studios, meanwhile, have been clamoring for rights the past few days, but Endeavor is keen on attaching a director before making a sale. A director is expected to be attached next week.

This sounds like just the thing Wahlberg needs after a disastrous 2008.

 

[Matt]

Sounds interesting, but it all depends on who they get to play the kidnapper. If they play this as a Silence of the Lambs or Se7en type deal, the villain is the most important role. Especially his scenes as Walberg's prisoner, despite him being the captive, he needs to have all the power and be chilling. I'll keep my eye on this one.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Sounds interesting, but it all depends on who they get to play the kidnapper. If they play this as a Silence of the Lambs or Se7en type deal, the villain is the most important role. Especially his scenes as Walberg's prisoner, despite him being the captive, he needs to have all the power and be chilling. I'll keep my eye on this one.

I agree to an extent but Wahlberg will have to be on top of his game b/c the audience needs to empathize with him and stay behind him, while I imagine ask moral questions as he has to go further and further in order to find out where the kids are.

 

[Matt]

Absolutely, and that can be an interesting dynamic. At what point does the Wahlberg character become the man he is holding and (persumably) torturing?

They definitely need to have a good chemistry, the two. It may be an odd choice, but I wouldn't mind seeing Martin Sheen in the role of the kidnapper. He and Wahlberg had good chemistry in The Departed. He may not scream kidnapper, but with these type of things it is always the people you least expect (look at BTK, he was a boyscout leader). Martin Sheen could be chilling in the role. I'd love to see him play a role like that.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Absolutely, and that can be an interesting dynamic. At what point does the Wahlberg character become the man he is holding and (persumably) torturing?

They definitely need to have a good chemistry, the two. It may be an odd choice, but I wouldn't mind seeing Martin Sheen in the role of the kidnapper. He and Wahlberg had good chemistry in The Departed. He may not scream kidnapper, but with these type of things it is always the people you least expect (look at BTK, he was a boyscout leader). Martin Sheen could be chilling in the role. I'd love to see him play a role like that.

Exactly, that should be the crux of the drama, how far can the father go and keep the audience with him and not lose himself.

Interesting choice, I could see it working, If they go younger I'd go for Cillian Murphy, he has a very odd mix of charisma and weirdness that can make you wonder just whether to buy into him or not which could be an interesting point, is the guy the father has even guilty ?

 

[Maximus One]

It should be Andy Samberg!!!!!! Lol nah just playing but Id like to see someone relatively the same age as Wahlberg or maybe a little older. Someone like Kiefer Sutherland or Matt Damon. Maybe Ed Norton hell I dunno sounds pretty good though

 

[Doctor Jones]

This sounds damn awesome.

 

[dude stannis]

Souds like the Buffalo Bill scenes in Silence of the Lambs intercut with Liam Neeson unleashing hell in Taken, with the visual style of Se7en, with Sgt. Dignam as the hero.

Consider that on my Must See list.

Sounds like it's released in 2010?

13
Clash of the Titans
The Expendables
Green Lantern
Inception
Iron Man 2
Jonah Hex
Prisoners
Rambo V
Robin Hood

That sounds like a damn good year for cinema.

 

[Scarlet Spider]

http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/03/bryan-singer-ey.html

Bryan Singer eyeing hot revenge thriller project starring Mark Wahlberg

Mar 20, 2009, 05:47 PM | by Christine Spines
Categories: Movie Biz

After the success of Taken and Gran Torino, Hollywood has been on a vigilante kick. And right now, Bryan Singer (along with studio execs all over town) has been seriously considering getting his revenge on with The Prisoners, a much-sought-after thriller script to which Mark Wahlberg is attached to star as a Boston dad who takes the law into his own hands when his young daughter is kidnapped. The screenplay, which has been compared to The Silence of the Lambs and Seven, has been buzzed about as a calling card for its unknown writer, Aaron Guzikowski, and as a rare project targeted at adult audiences but with real commercial potential. When asked whether The Prisoners will be his next movie, Singer told EW: "I don't know yet. But I'm definitely intrigued. It's a great script. And I'd love to work with Mark."

 

[dude stannis]

HOLY ****ING **** YES!

I was already hyped for this film, if Singer does this, it's right behind The Expendables on my MUST WATCH list.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Interesting director choice, seems like material that may suit Singer.

 

[dude stannis]

The plot has a similar theme to Usual Suspects and Apt Pupil, the interrogation of the devil so to speak.

 

[Lobo]

I'm a Wahlberg fan, a Singer fan, and this plot sounds very interesting. I'll definitely be seeing this opening weekend.

 

[SWAT]

Oh, this could be cool. Love revenge flicks.

 

[Hunter Rider]

The guy from /film appears to have read the script.

http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/03/21/bryan-singer-circling-prisoners-with-mark-wahlberg/#more-22920

There’s been a whole hive-load of buzz about this one, and I can see why Singer would at least give it careful consideration, but is it really a package he should attach to? Even the least of his past projects - Superman Returns and X-Men - had some real high points in their screenplays, and more than their fair share of rock-steady solid pages too. Can Prisoners compare?

Much of the basic set up of Prisoners is reminiscent of The Lovely Bones, quite oddly. Wahlberg’s role in each film would be the rough equivalent too - the father of an abducted young girl who sets off on her trail ahead of the police and seems set upon exacting some vigilante justice. In most respects, however, the screenplays couldn’t be more different…

Prisoners wears its central metaphor on its sleeve - it’s right there in the title, in fact. This “boldness” also often leads to some thudding imagery and the odd bit of sledgehammer swinging, which Singer would have to work to soften off. He could do it, for sure, but the script would definitely need another good solid draft to prune away all of the silly, prickly bits. What would be left might make for a decent film, if a rather conventional one that simply rehearses familiar dilemmas and the same tired moral debates that always accompany them. The scenes are definitely well written, for the most part, and several key sequences clip along zippily and clearly, but after too many detours into cliche and some only-in-the-movies moments, I did find my patience being a little taxed.

The film this script describes is definitely a rather conventional genre piece and at best would be remembered for some quick grabs of gripping suspense and the occasional surprising twist or set piece, particularly in the first half. For the most part, though, this script is comprised of the kind of material familiar from the never ending spew of serial killer procedurals that came after Silence of the Lambs, both to cinema and on TV.

I think Singer can do better. Actually, I think Wahlberg can do better. Perhaps most importantly, though, I think Guzikowski can do better.

The comparisons to Se7en and Lambs you may have read around the web are essentially down to the film’s need for grimy, dirty dereliction in the production design and the detainment and sufferance of individuals in the plotting. You might as well name-check those other pungent droppings of tedious Morgan Freeman cop-swallop, Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider, or even nonsense like The Cell.

Logan’s Run, You Want Me to Kill Him? or Supermanagain, please? Thanks

 

[dude stannis]

It's only a spec script isn't it? By the time, someone like Christopher MacQuarrie does the final draft it should be ready to go.

 

[dude stannis]

BUMP.

Singer officially directing Prisoners

Ecxellent news for me. Singer and Wahlberg should be just as interesting a team as Singer and Cruise.

 

[Lobo]

Awesome!

 

[Matt]

Hmm, this seems intriguing. This is the type of movie Singer should be directing. Its the exact type of movie needed to get his career back on track following Valkyrie's disappointing box office and critical reception. He needs to get back to to playing to his strengths and this seems like the perfect opportunity.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

Bale joins?
http://www.riskybusinessblog.com/2009/04/bale-takes-prisoners.html
Hot Endeavor project "Prisoners" just got hotter.

Insiders say that Christian Bale has attached himself to the project, joining Mark Wahlberg on the thriller and making the package for Aaron Guzikowski's spec even more desirable. That follows word from Bryan Singer that he'd like to direct the pic, though there's no official confirmation from his reps yet that he's come on board.

Endeavor is putting together the package and plans on shopping it after a director is officially attached, with insiders stressing the project isn't financed and saying the Wahlberg-Bale combo is fragile. This one's all about making the numbers work for the players, who typically command hefty paydays.

We took a look at the script to see what was getting studio execs so piqued and found plenty to be excited about.

Here's the basic idea: 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.

That's the basic setup. There's a lot more there, but we won't spoil it except to say the two leads have great arcs and the supporting players, especially the mothers, have juicy parts. The script is dark -- Disney ain’t touchin' this one -- and a real page-turner.

Wahlberg's had a couple bumpy rides in “Max Payne” and “The Happening," which would make this a good next pic if it went quickly. Bale, who's next up in "Terminator: Salvation" and gangster pic "Public Enemies" is actually perfect for this -- it's a brooding, dark script, and Bale plays brooding and dark to great effect.

And Singer? Well, he started with small thrillers like “Usual Suspects” and “Apt Pupil” but has since moved on to bigger pictures. "Prisoners" could be just the thing to set him loose





Oh, man, if this is good it's just going to make me wish Batman and Superman could have cameoed together w/ Singer.

 

[dude stannis]

*Faints*

I take it Wahlberg will be the bible thumping religious guy and Bale will be the cop.

Hmm, this seems intriguing. This is the type of movie Singer should be directing. Its the exact type of movie needed to get his career back on track following Valkyrie's disappointing box office and critical reception. He needs to get back to to playing to his strengths and this seems like the perfect opportunity.

:facepalm

 

[Hunter Rider]

This just went up a notch!

*Faints*

I take it Wahlberg will be the bible thumping religious guy and Bale will be the cop.

Probably since he actually is pretty religious I believe and he he's the older of the two.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Just a thought, Bale could be playing the guy the father thinks has the kids.

 

[dude stannis]

Probably since he actually is pretty religious I believe and he he's the older of the two.

By 3 years. One one hand Wahlberg is a deeply religious man, on the other I wouldn't put kidnapping and torture past Christian Bale. t:

 

[SWAT]

What!? Man, this is just getting better and better!