It looks like 2013 may be the new 1988 as three of the biggest action stars of the Reagan era are set to release three new films in early 2013, starting on January 18, 2013 with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s THE LAST STAND, from director Kim Ji-Woon (I SAW THE DEVIL).
After that, we have just gotten word that Sylvester Stallone’s BULLET TO THE HEAD, from director Walter Hill (THE WARRIORS) will bow on February 1, 2013. Originally slated to be released this year, the film underwent some additional work in the editing bay and appears to have weathered the storm and is now ready to set sail.
Without a moment to catch it’s breath, BULLET TO THE HEAD will be followed by the fifth DIE HARD film, A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD on February 14, 2013 (because who doesn’t equate international terrorism with Valentine’s Day…c’mon, now), once again following the exploits of Bruce Willis’ underdog cop, John McClane, this time from director John Moore (MAX PAYNE).
In related DIE HARD news, the film has just cast a new villain with Cole Hauser (PITCH BLACK), playing a character named “Collins.” It’s an interesting bit of casting, but it still doesn’t make me any more hopeful that the film will be anything more than a mediocre PG-13 snoozefest, but I’m always in the running to be wrong.
What we have for the first two months of 2013 is a one-two-three punch of films from our Patriarch’s of Action, not to mention the pairing of Stallone and Schwarzenegger on THE TOMB later in 2013. Whether or not any of the films live up to their stars prior achievements is way too close to call, but I find it interesting that the Planet Hollywood crew is releasing these three films so close to one another.
Either way, it’s gonna feel very late ’80’s at the movies come January 2013. Let’s hope that our old school heroes can still bring the heat.