Liam Neeson looks set to brush up on that very particular set of skills, with Deadline reporting that the star is in line to return to the Taken franchise for a third outing.
According to the report, Neeson is currently in talks with the studio over a third film for a rumoured salary of $20 million, a $5 million increase on his fee for the previous episode.
Taken 2 took close to $375 million worldwide, having been made for a relatively modest budget, so it’s understandable that Fox are keen on a third episode.
As for Neeson, there’s obviously the financial benefit to be considered, but also the fact that the role of Bryan Mills was the one that reinvented him as a bona fide action star. It's hard to imagine a Taken film without him, despite the previous whispers that his on-screen daughter Maggie Grace might take over the franchise.
Production on the sequel is currently lined up for a February start, with Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen having started work on a script. No word as yet on a director, although Deadline reports that Taken 2 ’s Olivier Megaton is a likely contender…
All in all, it sounds like a change of pace from what director Olivier Megaton told us when met him to discuss the release of the second film:
