David Leitch is one of the most important figures in action films today. Now, the filmmaker has turned to the work of Japanese novelist Kōtarō Isaka for his next action film Bullet Train, which has now been given a release date by Sony Pictures—though the film is currently facing a box office battle with another potential blockbuster.
Bullet Train comes at a time when most of Hollywood's action films happen to be based on previous franchises, comic book material, or the tropes surrounding past films involving a particular action star such as Liam Neeson or Jason Statham. The decision on Sony's part to release the film in theaters is a huge sign of confidence, which is undoubtedly founded in the action film expertise of Leitch, who also produced the recent theatrical release Nobody with Bob Odenkirk and Hardcore Henry director Ilya Naishuller.
Bullet Train tells the story of five assassins who board the same bullet train in Japan, only to find out that their assignments are interconnected. The film has been slated for release on April 8th, 2022, and stars Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Karen Fukuhara, Zazie Beetz, Michael Shannon, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Sandra Bullock among others. The film's screenplay was written by Zak Olkewicz, who produced the horror film Lights Out, and Leitch, who's producing Bullet Train, is joined by other notable producers such as his wife, Kelly McCormick, and The Equalizer director Antoine Fuqua.
Another tentpole film is slated for release on April 8th, 2022, and that film is none other than Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The game movie sequel, which just wrapped filming a month ago, is the predecessor to one of the most profitable films released theatrically in 2020. Sony Pictures and Paramount both have plenty of time to rethink their strategies, but a box office battle between the Sonic's family film and Bullet Train's claustrophobic action thriller would be interesting to keep an eye on.
After an extensive career as a stunt coordinator on many big films, Leitch got his big breakthrough with his involvement on the sleeper hit John Wick. Since then, he's directed many notable action films including Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, and Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw, but the John Wick franchise is moving on without its creator.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is still casting roles and is currently in pre-production, but Bullet Train, especially with the involvement original creator of John Wick, is sure to tide franchise fans over as they wait for the next installment in that action film series. There is plenty to be excited about with Bullet Train, from the unconventional source material to the involvement of actors like Pitt and Kraven the Hunter star Taylor-Johnson. But time will tell if Bullet Train can reach faster speeds than the blue blur.
Bullet Train is slated to release in theaters on April 8th, 2022.
Source: Sony Pictures