In the history of Liam Neeson's career as a cinematic ass-kicker, he's come up against some colorful characters, and equally impressive actors playing them. The same seems to be true of his latest Hard Powder, a remake of the Norwegian black comedy In Order of Disappearance. The American remake has landed an interesting choice for its villain. Ladies and gentlemen, we'd like to present British actor Tom Bateman as your new Tesla driving, practicing Vegan murderer/mob boss.
Bateman's casting was announced through THR, and we now know the actor has been slated to play Viking, the gangster that Neeson's Nels will be fighting his way towards in Hard Powder. Of course, Tom Bateman's Viking will not only have to deal with Nels' quest for vengeance in the name of his murdered son, but also a gang war with the local Native American mafia. Bateman's casting is a pretty fantastic scenario for the young actor, as this latest role is only another in a pattern of pretty fantastic prospects he's landed.
Before his name was attached to the role of Viking, Tom Bateman had previously been seen in prominent TV roles such as Giuliano Medici in the Starz series DaVinci's Demons, as well as Robert Jekyll in the 1930's set Jekyll and Hyde remake, which came together at ITV. Though in the not-too-distant future, you'll also be able to see Bateman in the Goldie Hawn and Amy Schumer vehicle Snatched, as well as a part of director Kenneth Brannagh's Murder on the Orient Express adaptation. Though if you think his credits are impressive, wait until you find out who else has joined the cast of Hard Powder alongside him.
As it turns out, Shameless star Emmy Rossum has also signed on for a role in Hard Powder, per reports. Though, unfortunately, we don't have any details on who she might be cast as, or which side of the fence she'll be on. Our guess is she'll be playing the role of Viking's ex-wife, seeing as In Order of Disappearance has two female leads, and the wife of Liam Neeson's Nels is one of them. Still, just the fact that Neeson is teaming with both Rossum, as well as Tom Bateman, is enough to excite us about this case of revenge served ice cold.
Hard Powder is currently in the early phases of development, and does not have a definitive release date. Though the film does seem to be looking towards a 2018 release date, with director Hans Petter Moland slated to helm the remake of his Swedish original. To find out what is headed to theaters sooner, take a look at our full upcoming movies guide.
