Aussie inge-dude Liam Hemsworth is steadily emerging from the shadow of big brother Chris (A.K.A. Thor). After co-starring opposite Miley Cyrus in the 2010 Nicholas Sparks' romance The Last Song, he snagged a role alongside a bevvy of action greats in The Expendables 2, and the coveted male lead of Gale in The Hunger Games. Having recently wrapped on the latter's sequel, Catching Fire, Hemsworth is reportedly eying a role in an intriguing new sci-fi thriller.
Deadline reports Hemsworth is nearly signed to front Universal's The Raven. The film is based on the acclaimed 2010 short from Peruvian director Ricardo de Montreuil. Named for its main character Chris "The Raven" Black, the six-minute short is set in a dystopian future where Los Angeles is ruled by an oppressive regime that's relentlessly seeking to destroy our hero because he possesses an extraordinary power.
Despite a low budget and short running time, The Raven displayed some seriously stellar special effects as well as de Montreuil's skill for pacing and action sequences. This spurred Universal to buy the short, bringing de Montreuil on board to develop it into a feature. Michael Gilio and Justin Marks have been hired to draft the screenplay, and presumably Hemsworth would be lined up to play the title character. Check out the trailer below to see what kind of action Hemsworth would be in for.
Obviously, this would be an exciting opportunity for any young actor. But with his brother regularly playing a Marvel superhero, I'd have to imagine Liam's hungry for a chance to snag some more action-hero glory of his own.
The Raven is expected to roll into production in June.
