Hitman's Agent 47 returns in film reboot

 

This week, 20th Century Fox released the first set of images from their upcoming film, 'Hitman: Agent 47.' Originally developed to feature the late Paul Walker ('Fast and Furious') in the title role, 'Hitman: Agent 47' is a reboot of the cinematic incarnation of the property. The 'Hitman' is a long-running series of videogames created and developed by Danish studio iO interactive. 47 is one of videogaming's most visually recognizable characters. The bald-headed assassin is well known for his nice suits, red ties, silver baller pistols and the bar code tattooed on the back of his head.

 

The original 'Hitman' film released in 2007,drew in nearly a $100 million on a $24 million production budget and looked to become the first in a lucrative franchise, despite a less than stellar critical reception.  The sequel languished in development hell for several years. Without any contractual obligations in place to reprise the role of Agent 47, star Timothy Olyphant ('Justified') bowed out. After a tragic car accident claimed the life of Walker, the role was recast with Rupert Friend. Friend is part of the regular cast on the Showtime series Homeland, where he plays CIA operative Peter Quinn. 

 

Helming the film is Polish director Aleksander Bach. According to ArcadeSushi, the film follows Agent 47 as he helps a young waitress named Katia van Dees come to terms with her identity "before joining her in a battle to defeat the Syndicate and trying to rescue her father." Playing Katia is English model Hannah Ware, who starred in the ABC soap opera 'Betrayal.' Rounding out the cast are Zachary Quinto, Thomas Kretschmann and Ciaran Hinds. A teaser for the film was shown at the San Diego Comic-Con but has been kept under the lid. 

 

Friend was unable to promote the film at Comic-Con due to his shooting schedule in South Africa for 'Homeland.' In his place at the convention's 20th Century Fox panel was Quinto, whose last big screen outing was as Spock in 2013's 'Star Trek into Darkness.' "The character I play in the movie exists in the world of the video game but in a peripheral way," said Quinto of his character John Smith. Quinto added that he likes to "take on roles that have more than meets the eye," and that the character qualifies because it's "complicated."

 

Quinto also commented on fan expectations: "That’s a fan-based thing, the idea of comparison, that’s what fans do. That’s why fans exist – because they believe in something, something connects to them and they have passionate feelings, and connections, and opinions about stuff." Quinto prefaced his comment by saying that the approach taken by the producers and writers and directors is a matter of artistic license. His role as an actor, he says, is to give viewers something to debate about or discuss or have a reaction to. "My approach is to try and set myself free from the expectation and comparison [and] focus on the work that is ahead of me [...] and how I bring something to life."

 

'Agent 47' is scheduled for an early 2015 release. The Hitman series is currently published by Square Enix and continues to see strong and steady releases. The most recent installment was 2012's 'Hitman: Absolution'. An isometric tactics puzzler titled, 'Hitman Go' was released for iOS and Android devices earlier this year. Other Square Enix properties currently in development as feature films are 'Deus Ex' and 'Thief.' — TJD, GMA News