The latest trend in Hollywood (outside of remake, prequels and sequels) finds studios latching on to a foreign action thriller – The Raid, Sleepless Night – and producing an American version. The same seems to be happening to Pierre Morel’s District B13, though significant strands of the creative thread will remain in place while the action shifts from Paris to the States.
Deadline reports that Paul Walker is in negotiation to head up a version of the nimble, violent, Parkour-heavy thriller that would be set in a large American city, likely Chicago. But according to the site, Walker would team up with original District B13 co-star David Belle, who would be playing a different character than the one he played in Morel’s original and its sequel. The plot of this new film, titled Brick Mansions, also would follow an undercover detective who must enter one of the city’s worst neighborhoods to unearth a stolen weapon of mass destruction.
Fans ready to balk at what they fear might be a watered-down version of the hard-hitting film they worship will be pleased to know that legendary Luc Besson, a credited writer on both District films, appears to be the driving force behind this new effort. He even has handpicked one of his protégés to helm the U.S. version, though Deadline could not report who the chosen director will be at this time.
Still, if Besson is involved I feel better about an American District B13. And if you need a fit, white male to sprint through explosive action sequences and gritty fights, you can do worse than Walker, who reportedly would film Brick Mansions before diving into a sixth Fast and the Furious alongside Vin Diesel and The Rock.
