Because it’s a video game movie directed by John Moore, there aren’t a whole bunch of reasons for us to think it will actually be a good movie. Unfortunately for me, I love the Max Payne games so much that my hope for the film still springs forth as if from a fountain.
And today we have some more casting news for the film, which has been in production for about a month now with Mark Wahlberg in the lead and Mila Kunis as (presumably) Mona Sax. Today, the word from Entertainment Weekly’s Hollywood Insider blog is that Chris O’Donnell will be tackling the role of “executive Jason Colvin.”
There’s no character by that name in either game, so speculation about what that role entails will be just that. There are a couple possibilities, however.
There is only one corporate executive character in either game. That would be Nicole Horne, CEO of Aesir Corp. and the villain from the first game. It could be that they switched the sex of the character. On the other hand, the cast listing on the Hollywood Reporter’s production list includes one Kate Burton, whom the not-so-reliable IMDB* says will play Nicole Horne. But that’s IMDB.
It could be that Colvin is a younger version of the game’s Alfred Woden, the head of the Illuminati-style Inner Council. Woden, who appears in both games, is mostly a background character, though his actions have a significant influence on the game’s events.
Or maybe this Colvin is just a new character, making my pointless speculation even more pointless.
It’s also worth noting that the previously mentioned HR production list also names Ludacris and Donal Logue as cast members. The still-not-reliable IMDB says Ludacris will play deputy police chief Jim Bravura and Logue will play cop Alex Balder. Ludacris as Bravura feels a bit off, considering that Bravura is past middle age. Logue, on the other hand, is probably just right for Balder, who is killed off at the very beginning of the first game.
Also, Beau Bridges was officially added (with an official announcement by HR) to the cast a few weeks ago. He’ll play B.B. Hensley, whom the Reporter describes as “a former cop and mentor figure to Max Payne, who helps him track down a cunning, ruthless killer.” That’s quite a departure from the game, in which B.B. is a crooked cop who tries to kill Max.
*IMDB lists Thomas H. Fenton as the screenwriter for Max Payne. It’s actually Beau Thorne.