Good news in the indie world today, as The A-Team director Joe Carnahan has finally received the green light for his Alaskan, man vs. nature thriller The Grey, to be led by late-in-life action star Liam Neeson. The film tells the story of oil-rig workers stranded in frozen tundra after their transport plane crashes. Among the many problems the crew must deal with is a ravenous, territorial pack of wolves out for blood. Think The Edge meets Jaws meets Alive. The rest of the oil-rig crew will be comprised of character actors Dallas Roberts (A Home At The End Of The World), James Badge Dale (The Pacific, Rubicon), Dermot Mulroney (The Wedding Date, Undertow), Frank Grillo (Edge of Darkness), Nonso Anozie (RockNRolla) and Joe Anderson (The Crazies, Across The Universe).
Carnahan spoke to the harsh locations the film would shoot (Vancouver and Northern British Columbia) and the small budget they’ll operate on as reasons to rejoice: “In a way, it’s great, because it beats the shit out of the cast and that suits the storyline.” He also spoke on his return to true independent filmmaking: “I haven’t had a situation like this since Narc, where there’s no distributor, but you get to make the movie you want to, staying as light on your feet as you can.” [Deadline]
The A-Team was far from the success Fox was hoping for, grossing just under $180 million worldwide on a reported $110 million budget. Considering the huge P&A push Fox had behind it, costs were most likely not covered. It is also interesting that Carnahan’s indie traded A-Team star Bradley Cooper for A-Team star Neeson. Neeson’s at least got one successful leading man actioner under his belt (Taken), while Cooper’s yet to prove his worth in stardom. This March’s Limitless will be the first real test for the young actor.
I’ve actually had a chance to read an older draft of The Grey and can say that it’s the kind of lean, mean screenwriting that Carnahan can bring alive thanks to his kinetic filmmaking style. It will also give the talented supporting actors a chance to shine with some juicy lines and banter around the literal camp fire. And while Cooper did seem like the more logical choice to play the lead character Ottway, Neeson will most likely fill the necessary changes without much trouble.
Production begins in one week.
Are you excited to see Carnahan return to his indie roots?