Brad Pitt’s ‘Bullet Train’ Enlists Logan Lerman and ‘Deadpool 2’ Production Designer David Scheunemann

There had been so many casting announcements concerning Sony’s upcoming assassin flick Bullet Train that they’ve been hard to keep track. But yesterday it was revealed by Deadline that Logan Lerman (Gamer, Fury, Hunters) has taken yet another undisclosed role in the action film directed by David Leitch (Deadpool 2, John Wick, Atomic Blonde).

The rest of the cast consists of Brad Pitt (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood), Joey King (The Dark Knight Rises), Andrew Koji (G.I. Joe Origins: Snake Eyes), Michael Shannon (Knives Out, Man of Steel), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Godzilla, Kick-Ass, Avengers: Age of Ultron), Brian Tyree Henry (Godzilla vs Kong, Widows, Joker, Eternals), Lady Gaga (Gucci, A Star Is Born, Machete Kills), Masi Oka (Heroes), and Zazie Beetz (Joker, Deadpool 2).

Logan and Brad previously worked together on the WWII thriller Fury from David Ayer, so this will be a reunion of sorts for the two actors.

I’m starting to get a little concerned that Sony and Leitch have only hired two Asian actors of Japanese heritage out of the ten announced given that the film’s setting is supposed to be Tokyo, Japan. A location predominately populated by Japanese people and not westerners. Hopefully, they’ll start to notice how odd this looks to people and we’ll hear more Asian actors joining the cast.

Filming is taking place in Los Angeles under the working title of Haiku #87, a reference to the train in the action flick. The Ronin has learned that Leitch is expected to reunite with production designer David Scheunemann (Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw), who recently worked on Karen Gillan’s Gunpowder Milkshake.

Sony has yet to give Bullet Train an official release date.

Zazie Beetz Reunites With ‘Deadpool 2’ Director By Joining The Cast of Brad Pitt’s ‘Bullet Train’

Deadline reports that Joker actress Zazie Beetz has joined the cast of Sony’s Bullet Train, an action film about assassins set on a Japanese bullet train. She’ll be reunited with Deadpool 2 director David Leitch and actor Brad Pitt who played the Vanisher in a brief cameo.

Bullet Train’s cast also includes Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, and Andrew Koji.

Zazie also worked with Brian Tyree Henry on the FX series Atlanta.

Filming is said to be taking place in Los Angeles, California.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

‘Eternals’ Actor Brian Tyree Henry Joins Brad Pitt’s Assassin Flick ‘Bullet Train’

Deadline is reporting that Widows actor Brian Tyree Henry is the latest addition to the growing cast of Sony’s assassin action film Bullet Train from John Wick director David Leitch (Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw). As the title would suggest the story takes place on a Tokyo bullet train populated with multiple assassins.

Brian Tyree Henry was recently revealed to be playing an openly gay character in Marvel’s Eternals and will also be seen in Godzilla Vs Kong next year.

He joins a cast that also consists of Oscar-winner Brad Pitt, Joey King (The Dark Knight Rises), Andrew Koji (Snake Eyes), and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Godzilla, The King’s Man).

Filming will be taking place in Los Angeles.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Aaron Taylor-Johnson Is The Latest Addition To Brad Pitt’s Assassin Action Flick ‘Bullet Train’

Deadline reports that British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson has landed a role in the upcoming action flick Bullet Train from John Wick and Atomic Blonde director David Leitch.

Aaron’s credits include Kick-Ass, Godzilla, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Tenet, and the upcoming Kingsman prequel film The King’s Man.

The film from Sony Pictures has recent Oscar-winner Brad Pitt in the lead role with Joey King and Andrew Koji also playing fellow assassins on a Tokyo bullet train.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Josh Brolin Says Playing Cable In ‘Deadpool 2’ Was A “Business Transaction” Compared To Working With The Russo Brothers

While we’re still waiting on an official announcement concerning the fate of Deadpool 3 at Marvel Studios, Cabble actor Josh Brolin spoke to cinematographer Roger Deakins on his podcast Team Deakins (spotted by The Playlist) about the differences between working on Deadpool 2 in juxtapose to working with Marvel/The Russo Brothers on Avengers Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

BROLIN: “Deadpool was hard. Even though it was funny, it was harder. That was more of a business transaction, it was more, ‘We need to make this like this,’ which I didn’t feel that way with Avengers.

“[The Russo Brothers] would constantly go back and reference Scarface or Dog Day Afternoon. Whether or not it was a manipulation, they knew what to throw out there to bring it back into something inspired.”

Josh’s comments here are terribly off-base as the Deadpool sequel underwent specific reshoots because producers/studio felt certain scenes didn’t test well and it’s possible that set had less of a creative environment than with The Russo Brothers.

There have been rumblings of Marvel considering a return for Brolin’s Thanos but that remains only rumor at this point. It’ll be interesting if they do end up moving forward with new Deadpool movies that if they’ll keep Brolin in the Nathan Summers aka Cable role as the only official carry-over from the Fox era is Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson.

Before the merger, the plan at 20th Century was to tackle an X-Force movie from writer/director Drew Goddard before a third solo installment.

Ryan confirmed back in December 2019 that Deadpool 3 was indeed in development at Marvel Studios but we really haven’t a solid update since.

SOURCE: TEAM DEAKINS

‘Snake Eyes’ Actor Andrew Koji Joins Brad Pitt In David Leitch’s Action-Thriller ‘Bullet Train’ – Plays An Assassin

Deadline reports the latest addition to the upcoming Japanese-set action-thriller starring recent Oscar-winner Brad Pitt and directed by David Leitch (Deadpool 2, John Wick, Hobbs & Shaw), as Andrew Koji will play one of the many assassins in the film traveling on a Japanese bullet train. 

Koji is best known for his Cinemax series Warrior and will play the new Storm Shadow in the G.I. Joe prequel film Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins for Paramount Pictures, which is expected to become a reoccurring franchise role as multiple G.I. Joe movies are in the works.

Joey King also has a role in the film. 

Filming on Bullet Train is expected to begin this fall in Los Angeles, California. 

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Oscar-Winner Brad Pitt Boards Sony’s Tokyo-Set ‘Bullet Train’ – Will Reunite With ‘Deadpool 2’ Director David Leitch

According to Deadline, Oscar-winner Brad Pitt will be reuniting with Deadpool 2 director David Leitch on Sony’s upcoming action flick Bullet Train taking a lead role.

There are finally some details revealed about the film as well.

Bullet Train is based on the Japanese novel Maria Beetle by Kotaro Isaka and was penned by screenwriter Zak Olkewicz.

 In the novel, five assassins find themselves on a fast moving bullet train from Tokyo to Morioka with only a few stops in between. They discover their missions are not unrelated to each other. The question becomes who will make it off the train alive and what awaits them at the terminal station?

Leitch is best-known as co-directing the first John Wick film then moving on to his solo directing career on projects such Atomic Blonde, Hobbs & Shaw, and the previously mentioned Deadpool sequel where Pitt cameos as the Vanisher.

There had been some expectations that production could begin before the end of the year.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

‘Deadpool 2’ Director David Leitch’s Next Film Will Be Sony’s Japan-Set Action Film ‘Bullet Train’ – Eyes Fall Production Start

Director David Leitch has landed yet another studio action project according to The Hollywood Reporter. The co-director of John Wick will return to the world of assassins with Bullet Train for Sony Pictures and they’re hoping to begin sometime in the fall. 

They’ve also provided a brief idea of what to expect from the project. Its script is being handled by Fear Street screenwriter Zak Olkewicz. 

Bullet Train centers on a group of hitmen and assassins with conflicting motives on a train in Tokyo. 

Oddly enough, Bullet Train shares it’s title with an existing Japanese film from 1975 directed by Jun’ya Satô with legendary action stars Sonny Chiba (The Street Fighter, Kill Bill) and Ken Takakura (Black Rain, The Yakuza) in leading roles. I’m curious if the original film from Japan will have any influence on this new project.

Sony is hopeful because of the contained setting of the project (on a train) they’ll be able to limit the number of people on set during the filming. 

David’s previous releases all have strong action sequences which has helped him gain the reputation of a solid action film director, thanks to his background in stunts.

At one point, Antoine Fuqua was attached to direct. 

The director has been putting together multiple deals to make multiple films at various studios, but I’m unsure if he’ll be able to make all of them. Here is a rundown of the other various projects that David has been reportedly attached to direct over the last year or so. 

  • A feature adaptation of the Ubisoft video game The Division for Netflix with Jessica Chastain and Jake Gyllenhaal attached to star. 
  • A remake of the classic Bruce Lee martial arts action film Enter The Dragon for Warner Bros. Pictures. 
  • Undying Love, a vampire action film set in Hong Kong and based on the Image Comics property. 
  • A feature film remake of the classic David Carradine series Kung Fu

Leitch is also producing a string of upcoming releases such as the Universal action flick Nobody starring Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul) coming to theaters on February 26th, 2021, the Toyko-set Netflix assassin film Kate starring Elizabeth Winstead (Birds of Prey), and the recently announced memory loss thriller for STX titled Fast & Loose

While sequels to Hobbs & ShawAtomic Blonde, and Deadpool 2 are said to be in early development stages. It remains to be seen if David will return to direct those projects. 

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER