My question is, just who will be *taken* this third time around?
Forest Whitaker is reportedly in talks to join Liam Neeson in the 3rd installment of Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp production company’s Taken franchise, which will be directed again by Olivier Megaton.
No word on what role exactly Whitaker is in talks to play, with plot details on Taken 3 being kept underwraps at the moment.
20th Century Fox is on board to distribute, with shooting potentially starting as early as March.
It’s been a very successful franchise, with the first two films grossing an astounding $600 million worldwide. Not bad for films that cot an average of $35 million ($25 million for the first; $45 for the second). Surely the 3rd will be even more expensive than the previous 2, with expectations higher.
It’s also been a lucrative gig for star Neeson, who stands to make about $20 million in salary for the 3rd film. He made $15 million for the second.
Whitaker has been very busy over the last 12 months, from starring in Lee Daniels’ The Butler, to Kasi Lemmons’ Black Nativity, producing Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale, and more. Look for him next in Oscar-nominated Algerian filmmaker Rachid Bouchareb’s La voie de l‘ennemi, which translates to English as Towards The Enemy; and in the upcoming psychological thriller, Repentance (previously titled Vipaka), which Lionsgate/Codeblack will release on February 28, 2014.
