Veteran screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen (TAKEN, THE FIFTH ELEMENT) has been tapped by producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura to write a follow up of sorts to the Mark Wahlberg starrer SHOOTER, entitled THE SWORD. SHOOTER was based on the novel Point of Impact by Stephen Hunter, who has written a series of novels based on Wahlberg’s character, Bob Lee Swagger, a retired Marine Sniper who always seems to find his way into some violent situations.
THE SWORD will be based on Hunter’s novel The 47th Samurai, which is another link in the chain of Bob Lee Swagger’s adventures, this time involving the delivery of a mysterious samurai sword to Tokyo.
The synopsis goes like this (from THR):
THE SWORD’s story sees Swagger tasked to find a sword his father won during the Battle of Iwo Jima. When he delivers it to its owner in Tokyo, it’s discovered the sword is actually a priceless and historic katana, with shadowy forces willing to kill to retrieve it. Swagger is thrown into a byzantine Japanese culture and the yakuza underworld and, in the words of the book, needs to learn that “in order to survive samurai, you must become samurai.”
I wasn’t a big fan of Antoine Fuqua’s version of SHOOTER. Wahlberg was fine in the role, but Bob Lee Swagger is a MUCH older character in the books and I always envisioned Bruce Willis or Tommy Lee Jones in the role. I haven’t read The 47th Samurai, but have read Black Light and Time To Hunt by Hunter and found them to be damn good action novels. Swagger is a well-written character and it’d be nice to see him portrayed by someone that’s more suited to his age and stature.
No word on who may direct THE SWORD or if Wahlberg will be pursued to star in the next Bob Lee Swagger adventure. I’m hoping they go with one of my previous choices above.
I’d like to see Swagger done right, myself.
Kamen’s work can be seen onscreen next when TAKEN 2 opens on October 5, 2012.
Kate Mara in Shooter may be the only reason to watch the movie…