A couple of months ago we reported THE GREY and NARC director Joe Carnahan had parted ways with MGM as the director of a remake to Michael Winner’s controversial 1974 thriller, DEATH WISH. Winner’s classic, which also spawned four sequels, starred Charles Bronsan as New York architect, Paul Kersey, whose world is torn apart following the murder of his wife and rape of his daughter at the hands of muggers. This pushes him over the edge leading him on a dark journey with a mission to clean up the violent city streets and find the men responsible.
Despite working on the project for over a year, Carnahan felt the studio were pushing him into a corner by forcing a big-name action star into the role. Bruce Willis was a name studio preferred but Carnahan wanted his antagonist to appeal as an ordinary and unlikely hero. He’d already confirmed Frank Grillo was set to play Kersey’s brother but there is no word if THE GREY actor is still involved.
His replacement has been found in Gerardo Naranjo, who most recent effort was the acclaimed Spanish-language crime-thriller, MISS BALA. Carnahan’s script, which he co-wrote alongside John D. Brancato and Michael Ferris, is still expected to be used so it’s not all bad news.
We’ll keep you posted on potential casting.
Source: Variety
