Perhaps it was only a matter of time before Gerard Butler, onetime Phantom of the Opera-turned-action movie god, teamed up with the John Wick people. The star of the Olympus saga was born to work with Derek Kolstad, creator of the franchise that started with Keanu Reeves killing a ton of people because one of them killed his puppy. And so, as per Deadline, this dream is finally becoming a reality.
Butler is reportedly eyeing the lead role in Just Watch Me, which will tackle the first in a book series by no less than Jeff Lindsay, creator of another beloved murderous sorta-hero: Dexter. The novels follow Riley Wolfe, described by as “a master thief and expert in disguise who targets the wealthiest 0.1 percent.” The film, like the first novel, shows him teaming up with a “master forger named Monique and a team of expert thieves on a job that will make history.” Will they rob Jeff Bezos blind and donate most of their unimaginable haul to charity? Only readers of the Riley Wolfe series know for sure!
Butler teaming with Kolstad is such a no-brainer that it’s kind of incredible that Kolstad teamed up with Bob Odenkirk, once a noted non-action star, first. Last year Odenkirk starred in Nobody, playing an everyman who snaps and starts taking no prisoners. That was inspired casting-against-type, while this is inspired casting-not-against-type.
(Via Deadline)