First broken by Collider and now confirmed by Variety, it looks like Jeffrey Dean Morgan is the latest face to join the remake of Red Dawn, being directed by Bourne stunt coordinator Dan Bradley. Morgan, who we last saw as The Comedian in Watchmen, would be taking the role originated by Powers Boothe; in the original he’s a fighter pilot who is shot down behind enemy lines and hooks up with the Wolverines, the teen resistance to the Russian occupiers. In this version the character is a special ops bad ass who finds the kids, and just like in the original, helps them carry out raids, except this time it’s against the Chinese and the Russians.
Morgan’s a great choice – just a truly manly man in a cinematic world with too few of them. He’ll make a great father figure for the new batch of Wolverines, who are shooting right now in Michigan.
Could the new Red Dawn be good? I’m interested in any cast that has Morgan along with Josh Peck and a cool newcomer like Chris Hemsworth, all with the directorial vision of the guy who staged some of this decade’s best stunts. I’m intrigued.