Superhero fatigue be damned, because comic book-related cinema is the hottest ticket in town, right now, and everyone wants to go to the show. It's been announced by Deadline Hollywood that Emma Dumont, who stars as Polaris in Fox's X-Men-based series, THE GIFTED, is poised to lead RAZOR, a film adaptation of the Everett Hartsoe comic of the same name. Set to direct the feature is Rob Cohen (XXX, THE HURRICANE HEIST), while THE CROW producer Jeff Most will produce alongside Grant Cramer (KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE), Anna Wang (SWITCH), Christopher Milburn (OUTCAST), and Philip Lee (CLOUD ATLAS).
When Dumont arrives on the scene of RAZOR, she'll lead the project as Nicole Mitchell, a young woman who, as a ten-year-old, witnesses her cop father’s murder by a gang of upwardly mobile crime figures who seek to thwart his investigation into their nefarious activities. The trauma lands her in a sanitarium for a decade in which time she develops a complex plan of revenge on the murderers.
In the comics, Nicole, looking to banish those who haunt the streets of Chinatown, becomes the deadly super-heroine Razor, named for her revealing suit that sports razors attached to her arms. The character has the potential to serve as a perfect vehicle for Cohen's directing prowess. After all, he did shoot the first installments for THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS and XXX franchises. With that in mind, one would expect RAZOR to be an over-the-top thrill ride packed with outlandish action and gritty drama amidst a stylish backdrop.
“Emma is a renaissance woman,” said director Cohen. “She’s a wonderful actress, a professional ballet dancer, and is currently getting her degree in Robotics Engineering. I have her training in Krav Maga and, believe me, there is nothing she can’t do.”
Producer Jeff Most also offered his thoughts on the project, which the team hopes will become a franchise barn burner. “Emma was born to play Razor. She is the embodiment of Everette Hartsoe’s comic character come to life. Emma naturally exudes the inner strength, acumen, athleticism, vulnerability, likability and street-wise intelligence that are the hallmarks of “Razor”. I couldn’t be more excited about finding the right actress in Emma to bring the character of Razor to life,” said Most.
Having watched the debut season of THE GIFTED on FX, I can totally vouch for Dumont being an inspired casting choice for the character. From what I've heard, she carries a commanding presence both on and off the set, which should lend nicely to her stepping into the role of RAZOR, a hardened badass with an eye for revenge.
You can catch Dumont as Lorna Dane a.k.a. Polaris when the second season of THE GIFTED makes its return to FX in the Fall.