With his Oscar nomination for The Wrestler and a starring role in Iron Man 2, Mickey Rourke‘s career is back in full swing. Adding to this momentum is the announcement by Deadline New York that the infamous bad boy has signed on for two films by the lesser of the two Scott brothers, Tony.
The first film is being described as a Donnie Brasco style drama about the Hell’s Angels biker gang with Rourke taking on the role of Sonny Barger, the leader of the Oakland organization. Scott has been circling this project since the rights to Barger’s story were sold to Fox in 2000 but only recently has the project begun to pick up steam. Rourke’s hardened biker character would be played opposite a young cop. Shia Lebeouf has reportedly met with Scott but hasn’t officially joined the production.
The other film, Potzdamer Platz, is about a New Jersey crime family who attempt to expand their operation internationally. Javier Bardem and Jason Statham are both rumored to be involved in this project along with Rourke. The film is in the final stages of securing funding and should emerge from Cannes with a solidified production company.
It is great to see Rourke taking on more roles and hopefully the actor can live up to the potential he displayed in Darren Aronofsky‘s The Wrestler. However, Tony Scott is not a name synonymous with quality performances as he has spent the better part of his career overseeing middle-of-the-road action dramas. The Hell’s Angel project sounds promising and is a role that seems tailor made for an actor like Rourke. We will have to wait and see if it lives up to it’s possibilities.
How do you feel about the return of Micky Rourke and his acting choices post-The Wrestler?