Hi guys
On his website, someone asked the question, and Dolph says he as no plans for this.
I think the only good way for Dolph Lundgren to be in P2 would be for him to star AND direct for a 10/15 millions $ budget. And of course rewrite the script to make it a follow up to the original (even if this one could stand on it's own). And make it a hard R.
That would be a major coup, however, it seems that Lionsgate want to go with the script as is (which presumably is bad, the reason why Thomas Jane dropped out) and on a very low budget shot in Canada rather than some exotic european country (ie it's impossible to make a good movie for the money they put in).
It's a bit of a bizarre situation, because Mr Lundgren would probably be the ideal director / actor for the kind of movie they want to produce, and I'm sure he would make it a huge success with a theater release. The prospect of an older, bitter Frank Castle who get into prison to kill the criminals he still hate would be amazing (bring on Jigsaw !). That would have to be the first Mike Zeck mini-series it's based on. "Be my guest!".
However, they would probably ask for a PG-13 and butcher the movie of all the good bits (imagine the 1989 version without any gore, I know, it's already butchered a lot depending on the versions). Marvel now have become a big bucks industry, and no more Punisher movie will ever be made with the freedom they had with the original. That's a given.
And I'm sure Mr Lundgren works with people like Nu Image, mostly because they give him more freedom than he would ever found anywhere else. Freedom that probably isn't to be found at Lionsgate, especially in these days where the movie is just an excuse to sell merchandise.
I think I read somewhere that Dolph thinks most movie types are shallow people who don't care about movies but about partying and making money. In short, he dislikes them. I don't think he will ever go back and be absorbed by that industry. They all think he is a has-been as he says. Even if most of his movies have been bad, he still have a huge credibility factor (his core audience), that is enough to make him go by and earn a living. Why endanger this, and loose the audience, in short everything ?
I would kill to see him reprise his Punisher role, thought, he is the only one.
PS : if Dolph had played the Russian, he would have killed Thomas Jane and taken his place.
Posted: 08 Jul 2007, 09:40