Deadline reports that Liam Neeson is set to star in the upcoming thriller Thug. The film will see Neeson teaming up again with director Hans Petter Moland, who previously directed the Academy Award-nominated actor in his 2019 action film Cold Pursuit. Thug will feature Neeson playing an aging gangster in San Pedro. When he attempts to reconnect with his kids and set right the mistakes he’s made, he finds that his life as a gangster is not so willing to let him go.
Neeson was nominated for an Academy Award in 1994 for his performance in Schindler’s List. In recent years, Neeson has shifted his career to become an action star. He famously starred in the Taken trilogy as well as such action films as The Commuter, Honest Theif, and the recently released Memory. Neeson has also recently been dabbling in comedy, having cameos in films like Ted 2 and shows like Derry Girls and Atlanta.
Moland is a Norwegian-born director who has directed a number of popular films from Norway. The script for Thug is written by Tony Gayton, who is best known for creating the series Hell on Wheels and writing the Dwayne Johnson action film Faster.
Producers on the film include Warren Goz and Eric Gold for Sculptor Media and Roger Birnbaum and Michael Besman for Electromagnetic Productions. James Masciello, Matt Sidari, and Mitchell Zhang will be serving as executive producers.
Sculptor Media has previously made several action films like the Gerard Butler film Copshop, the upcoming Sean Penn film Black Flies, and has previously worked with Neeson on his recent film The Marksman, which came out in 2021. On Neeson signing on to star in Thug, Goz put out a statement, saying:
“We are excited to work with Liam again with whom we had an amazing experience personally, creatively and commercially on The Marksman. We’re also excited to work with Hans who is fast becoming recognized as one of the top action directors. We additionally are very much looking forward to partnering with Roger and Michael who have a marvelous track record of creative and commercial success.”
Principal photography on Thug is expected to begin in Los Angeles in October.
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