Thomas Jane Confirms Punisher 2 Movie!

The Punisher star Thomas Jane told SCI FI Wire that a sequel to the comic-book adaptation is planned for a 2005 start. Jane is set to reprise his role as Frank Castle/The Punisher, with the comics' Jigsaw as the villain, Jane said in an interview. "If we all have our way, Jigsaw will be the villain," Jane said. "I think Michael Keaton would be awesome [for the role]. Hopefully we're going to shoot that next year, hopefully in the first part of next year, not the second part. But it'll probably be the second part of next year."

The sequel would expand on the action of the original, and Jane said that he expected it to be even more physically demanding than the original. "I know that the scene at the end of the first Punisher, where I go up there and just take everybody out, that's going to be the opening of The Punisher 2," he said. "In another context, I'll be taking on a whole other set of guys in another place, but the film Punisher 2 will open with that kind of a scene, and it'll just get worse from there."

Jane added that he will have to go back to the gym before shooting begins. "Unless they perfect the CGI muscles, I don't think I'll have a choice," he said. "It is kind of a pain in the a--." Script development has only begun, and casting is not yet underway.

---

While in town promoting his new movie "Stander," about the legendary South African bank robber, actor Thomas Jane talked to Superhero Hype! about the possibilities of a sequel to his 2004 comic book inspired vigilante action flick, The Punisher. An avid comic fan, Jane is still very enthusiastic about the character and the possibilities, despite the lackluster box office and response to the first movie. According to sources, Marvel's Avi Arad is still intent on getting a sequel off the ground.

"Yeah, we have had discussions. We want Jigsaw to be the bad guy," he told us, "We'll probably shoot it for much the same budget and probably go to Australia or South Africa where we can stretch the dollar. I'd do another one. It's a niche market film that will always be that, and that's what it should be."

He wasn't bothered at all by the perception that it was a disappointment at the box office. "In today's market, if it's not a blockbuster, then it's somehow considered a failure. I just don't understand that point of view. It saddens me that if a film doesn't sell a million Happy Meals that it's considered to be a failure, and that is just incorrect. We need to change our view of that. In today's market, there's certainly a place for the blockbuster type of film, but if you can make a film for $30 million and its grossed like 50-something so far worldwide and then do a bunch more business on DVD, then that film has done its job. I like movies that don't have to cater and appeal to everybody. Those movies are great, movies that cross the board and you can take your six-year old kid and your grandma, and everybody loves it. Fantastic! And there should be more movies like that and there will be, but there should also be movies that cater to people who like to see something different. People that have a need to see something that is off-the-beaten path a little bit. That's what 'The Punisher' is there for and that's what it's there to serve. It's for the fans and I'm very proud of it. I hope they don't ever process it down and turn it into something that it shouldn't be."

We wondered if maybe he'd approach the character any different having the first movie to work from. "Absolutely. I like the character a lot and I had a lot of fun with him. For me, the second one would be an exploration of the morality of what he does. He's so close to being a bad guy and does what he does cause more harm than good? Those kind of things are interesting for me. Where do you draw the line between what you're doing being justifiable and not?"

He told us a bit about how extreme the second movie may be. "The first one ended with him busting into that club and taking out all those people, and the second will open where the first one left off. It will just be incredibly violent and then it will just get more and more violent as the film goes on. That's the kind of film that it should be! It's a real take no prisoners punk rock kind of an action film, and g**ammit, it should piss a lot of people off!"

Next up for the actor is a third movie about yet another legendary anti-hero named Glen Shirley, a career criminal who learned how to play guitar in Fulsom prison and after being released by the governor to the custody of Johnny Cash to become a big country star during the early 70s. "It's a great story about how you can take the man out of prison, but you can't take the prison out of the man." He'll be playing guitar and singing, as well.

"Stander" opens August 6 in New York, Los Angeles and other cities.

Source: SCI FI Wire & SuperHeroHype.com