Dominic Cooper Replaces Henry Cavill For British SAS Thriller, STRATTON

Man Of Steel star Henry Cavill is holding out for a sequel to the aforementioned film amid the line-up Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment have going ahead of next year's release of Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice. In the meantime, one other property Cavill was developing under his Promethean Productions banner was the British SAS actioner, Stratton, based on the work of pennamed author Duncan Falconer, up until Cavill reportedly parted ways from potentially starring as the title character back in May.

Production, however, has since remained on schedule with The Expendables helmer Simon West tapped to direct beginning July 15 in Italy and the U.K. thereafter, and with the clock counting down until then, word has it from Deadline that Need For Speed and Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond star, actor Dominic Cooper is now tapped to lead instead. Falconer, formerly military himself, launched the original eight-part literary series in 2003 from which the film will be based, aimed at following the story of SBS commando and Northern-Ireland intelligence operative John Stratton as he and his team set out to eliminate an international terrorist cell. 

SYNOPSIS:

Fiercely independent SBS agent Stratton is a good soldier – to a fault. Part of a special service team deployed in Kazakhstan on the tail of international terrorists, Gandapur and Pinskov, Stratton risks life, limb and even national security to do what he thinks is right. 

Fighting with him is Aggy, his on-again-off-again love interest, a tomboy desperate to prove herself as a soldier and break through Stratton’s emotional armour to the good man she can see underneath. Hamdi is alongside them – a second-generation migrant and good friend of Aggy’s, he has a charm and poise quite different to Stratton’s straightforward soldiering. This very British team is joined by Hank, a young US navy Seal also looking to prove himself on the front line. 

Their hunt for the enemy brings them unexpectedly deep into the heart of Europe and ever closer to home. In Rome they follow hot on the heels of Italian criminal Bascanti, a man who turns out to be at the centre of international terrorism, masterminding a terrorist attack on London. 

When Stratton is captured by Bascanti’s henchmen he uncovers a mole within his team and his already chaotic reality is thrown even further into turmoil. With the enemy lurking around every corner, time is running out for Stratton. Who can he trust? Is it already too late?

Whiplash co-star, actor Austin Stowall in the role of Hank Munroe, a U.S. Navy Seal Lieutenant who joins Stratton on his harrowing mission with Gemma Chan, Tyler Hoechlin, Tom Felton, Thomas Kretschmann, Derek Jacobi, Connie Nielsen and Jake Fairbrother rounding out the cast. Cooper is also set to appear in AMC's television adaptation of the hit comic book, Preacher, in addition to reprising his role as Howard Stark in the next season of Agent Carter premiering next year.

British SAS Thriller, STRATTON Loses Its Star

Well, that just sucks.

It was late last year that actor Henry Cavill and his brother launched their own film production banner, Promethean Productions with director Simon West finally aboard three months ago to direct British SAS actioner, Stratton which was set to begin shooting in a week. Financing had been established with a production crew in place, but apparently with just days before principal photography was set to commence, Screendaily's latest report has a different story to tell.

Cavill has reportedly dropped out of the production due to issues regarding scheduling, casting and script changes as cited by Guy Collins, co-founder of GFM Films who were financing the picture and marketing the film and securing many pre-sales deals with distributors. "After securing many distribution deals ahead of the market, we had a really good Cannes and had closed more deals ahead of production next week,” said Collins. “But just before leaving Cannes last Friday we were informed by the production company that they wanted to push the start date back by around three weeks to finalise some additional casting and make some further fixes to the script. Then, during several meetings this week in London with both sets of producers including Henry Cavill, he told us he has decided not to shoot this script at this time. He had a different vision of what the film should be to us and the production team and wanted to delay production until September and shoot a different story and script.”

Cavill, who has been pushing for the project under his shared Promethan Productions banner with brother Charlie and producer Rex Glensy for some time now, would have played the title role as penned by former military serviceman-turned-author pen-named Duncan Falconer. The author launched the original eight-part literary series in 2003 from which the film will be based, aimed at following the story of SBS commando and Northern-Ireland intelligence operative John Stratton as he and his team set out to eliminate an international terrorist cell.

The whole situation has been described as a shock, especially since it was something that Cavill himself had been so emphatic about the character and the potential it had to offer. At any rate though, it appears that recasting is now underway with production that could start anywhere between now and the next three weeks or late summer.

Meanwhile, West's latest rock-and-roll action comedy, Salty, has recently acquired international distribution in multiple territories through reps at Carnaby International. Cavill will bow next in Guy Ritchie's The Man From U.N.C.L.E. on August 14, and next year's Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice on March 25.

Sex, Pirates And Rock & Roll Headline Simon West's New High-Seas Action Comedy, SALTY

Likely following the production of the new British SAS thriller, Stratton, ConAir and The Expendables 2 helmer Simon West will be tackling a dose of comedy for another new action flick he'll be directing later this year. Salty is the title with billing that references it as a cross between The Hangover and Get Him To The Greek, which already lends an idea of the kind of action comedy we'll be in for coupled with a plot that goes a little something like this:

The film follows an ageing rock star, and reformed sex addict, who is persuaded to take a holiday by his wife, a former supermodel. Things take a turn for the worse when she’s kidnapped by Thai pirates raising money to buy a new boat.

Variety reports that Carnaby has boarded the film as its international sales agent following the film's venture into crowdfinancing via SyndicateRoom since last year. No word yet on who will star. West, meanwhile, begins filming Stratton starring Henry Cavill this summer.

Simon West To Tackle Cavill-Starring Actioner, STRATTON

Henry Cavill in THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. From Warner Bros. Pictures (2015)

Man Of Steel star, actor Henry Cavill's days as a Kryptonian exile-turned-superhuman savior a la Zack Snyder will stake his claim once more next year in the growing ensemble lead-in to the  Justice League two-parter in the next several years with Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice. In the meantime, while he's not taking flight and battling intergalactic foes, he's got plenty of other big screen titles to look forward to while maintaining other ends of film business behind the camera, including helping to manage the production of the forthcoming book adaptation, Stratton.

Cavill, who has been pushing for the project under his shared Promethan Productions banner with brother Charlie and producer Rex Glensy for some time now, will be starring in the title role. Former military serviceman-turned-author pen-named Duncan Falconer launched the original eight-part literary series in 2003 from which the film will be based, aimed at following the story of SBS commando and Northern-Ireland intelligence operative John Stratton as he and his team set out to eliminate an international terrorist cell.

Further details are pending regarding who will be cast to join the title character for his action-packed exploits, although news from Screendaily has finally confirmed the directorial services of Con-Air, The Mechanic and The Expendables 2 helmer Simon West who is just coming off the latest limited theatrical release of his newest crime pic, Wild Card starring Jason Statham.Both Cavill and West are keen on sticking to the source material and delivering a faithful transition of the story beginning with the first book for a UK-based production, and so hopefully this newest venture will mark the start of its own franchise since it only seems fitting.

Amber Entertainment Ltd.'s Ileen Maisel and Lawrence Elman who intially optioned the project will co-produce with Promethean while GFM Films will finance and handle its sales as filming kicks off in the U.K. and Italy this Summer.

West's Wild Card is available right now on video-on-demand and will release on DVD and Blu-Ray in North America on March 31 from Lionsgate. In the meantime, Cavill will be joined by Armie Hammer in the new Guy Ritchie-directed espionage action comedy adaptation, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. for which a trailer is now making the rounds before its theatrical release this August from Warner Bros.

Stay tuned for more information.

Jason Statham Talks WILD CARD In A New Featurette

WILD CARD poster (UK)

Fans of cinematic badass, actor and action star Jason Statham will find themselves in good company this year with the forthcoming release of Spy and Furious 7 this Summer and Spring. However, his first step back on the big screen will arrive shortly in the U.S. with the revisit to a Burt Renyolds cult classic, now in the form of Wild Card which sees our hero, a gambling addict deep in the thick of the Las Vegas criminal underbelly and desperate to fight his way while out forced to deal with an array of thugs just waiting to be tossed about!

It's a promising act for Statham who has already proven quite well that he can stand on his own with recent critical hits like Parker (2013) and Homefront (2014), so hopefully you'll have your weekend planned to go and support the film as so deserved. If you missed the official trailer, you can watch it below, just beneath a small interview featurette with Statham in the chair.