The Hitman is Cast!!!!
 

Timothy Olyphant to Play Hitman
Source: Ain't It Cool News
December 5, 2006


Ain't It Cool News reports that Timothy Olyphant has landed the title role in the adaptation of the Eidos video game Hitman, Vin Diesel was previously attached to star in the role.

The site has learned that the script by Skip Woods (Swordfish) has received the green light from 20th Century Fox.

Luc Besson will co-produce along with Chuck Gordon, Adrian Askarieh and Daniel Alter. The film dould be in theaters as early as next fall.

Olyphant also stars as Bruce Willis' nemesis in Fox's Live Free or Die Hard.


Talk about out-of-the-left field actor. Thank goodness it ain't Vin Diesel. Olyphant is a great underated actor though :edgarrock:

ah i was hoping vin would do it, never heard of this guy before. But noone looks as good as Christian Bale as a murderer in a expensive suit

Yes, Bale and Diesel would have been good choices. Looking over that Olyphant guy's pictures at IMDB, I just cannot picture him with the bald head and that completely detached 47 gaze. More importantly, I have serious doubts that the filmmakers will dare to touch the essence of the game series' gameplay: Mercilessly killing off people, with creativity, elegance and a lot of dark humor involved. 47 isn't a nice person, probably not even an anti-hero but I bet they will try to turn him into just that.

Edit: Oh, and it's a Fox production, I shall abandon all hope for a decent movie then.

In before 'GAME MOVIES ARE ALWAYS SHITTY! GUFFAWHAHAHAHAHA!'

Thank you.

I'm fairly happy about it. Though Diesel could've pulled it of, he seems out of place... I can't understand why they didn't use David Bateson, though...

:doh:

Yeh I agree can't imagine this guy as 47 either, but hey couldn't really see David Craig pulling off Bond, but I was pleasently surprised :edgarrock:

Even if you DON'T have doubts, watch Deadwood.
Yes, it IS that good.

Dev and Tellurian are right. This guy has one of the most intense glares I've ever seen on television. He also happens to be an awesome actor. In all honesty, I think he's too good for a movie like this. Hitman just screams "Doom"-quality, personally.

No Jason Statham? Damn, that man IS Agent 47 :(

Actually, THIS man http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0061055/ is Agent 47, literally. He's both the voice of the character and the basis for the character model. If there would ever be a casting that would support game-movie continuity, it would be this, but this Timothy Olyphant fellow seems solid enough. I could see a 47-style glare in the picture that was posted in this thread. Jason Statham looks like 47 enough I suppose, but I don't think his acting style or voice really lends itself that much to Agent 47, not cold or detached enough.

I've been a fan of the hitman series for quite a while, so I wonder which story they'd follow overall, considering the series doens't really have alot of story to begin with, or just do a new one. I don't think I'd mind either way, an adaptation or a translation as the stories are rather threadbare anyhow.

This is the same problem I have with Vin Diesel: Well-known Actors sought for sheer physical resemblance to a character is a much less credible method in casting selection, rather then on the actor's innate and shown talent on screen... I feel this is why they chose Timothy Olyphant. I'm not saying Vin Diesel or Jason Statham don't have talent (The DEGREE of talent they have is left to your own personal opinion), but they are not fit for the part, if this movie were to be better in quality then say Doom or Lara Croft (Which are the closest to being 'middle-ground', as far as video-game to movie adaptations go, IMO).

However who knows? Vin Diesel is a known video-game player so I think that sort of... enthusiasm might have boosted his ability to portray the character... but then again it might have hindered him as well.

Ah well best TV glares I got to give to Millar, even he would be good for the role.

http://xtramsn.co.nz/homepage2/image...878589,00.jpeg

thats kinda scary how David Bateson actually resembles agent 47. Wonder if they actually based it with him in mind.

They did. He's the VA and model for Hitman. Which makes it pretty funny to watch him in a British styled Christmas Carbaret... This year he quoted Monty Python and wore a kilt. Hitman... In a kilt? The image just won't leave my head.

"Hello 47, your next assignment leads you to Scotland..." :rolleyes:

When I first saw "The Transporter" years ago I said Jason Statham should be in "The Hitman" movie if there ever would be one. Not only because he resembles the game character but because in the beginning of the movie he was a real professional and he stayed to his role and it fits into how a hitman should be, professional. Later in the movie he comes out of his role which sucks but ignoring that he seems to fit the part for hitman.... and his bald head reminds me of hitman.... XD

Hm, never heard of the guy. Looks like it will be an interesting movie though. I played some of the game before and had fun with it. I sure hope the movie isn't a disappointment.

Agreed on all counts!
I love his glare and how he always looks like he's seething with suppressed rage. Wouldn't want that guy as my enemy.

....I nicknamed him Mr. Furious because of it. *hides*

same here, but who knows how the movie will turn out when it happens.
Some VG movies weren't that bad, we'll see how it goes

Luc Besson is producing? This movie is doomed.

all I can say is thank god it wasn't vin diesel

Bit of a bump but some set shots with the first look at Olyphant as Agent 47:
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/7585/hit1ls9.png

http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/350/hit2cv1.png

This also seems to be the official synopsis for the film:

He looks too "kind" to be 47 :mad:

Oh man. This sounds too much like Leon with Natalie Portman.

I doubt he'll be stealthy in the least in this movie. It'll just be a HNNGH BOOM EXPLOSIONS GUNFIGHTS NONSTOP. HITMAN ISN'T A PANSY NOSIRREE. EXPLOSIONS AGAIN.

For a moment there I thought I was looking at a young Dennis Quaid. I haven`t seen Deadwood to know if Timothy Olyphant has what it takes to be Hitman but I`m glad they didn`t cast Vin Diesel, I only liked him in Pitch Black.

I read the last part of the synopsis, and now the only thing in my brain is FUCKITFUCKITFUCKIT.

Jesus on a moped, people. He was BORN without emotions. It's not like some tart can just waltz in and fiddle with the hardwiring of his brain. My expectations just dropped below room temperature:(

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/21246.html

can I say bad? like really bad?? XD

embarrassingly bad. Even tho I hate Diesel it seemed as tho he belonged in the role as the hitman because of his appearance and voice but now we have a baby tomato faced hitman. Even Jason Statham proved he looked the part in the transporter films.
This almost looks as bad as DOA

Timothy Olyphant better beef up for the role a little :p He looks a little scrawny in previous work I've seen him in.

480P Trailer*

1080P Trailer*

New Trailer out. Right-click save as.

*must rename it from makeplaylist.dll to .mov after downloading.

I was hoping Jason Statham would be cast in this, but Olyphant LOOKS the part. Too bad he's not that great of an actor. :/

EDIT: I actually kind of dig the trailer already. Maybe he's not such a bad choice. He doesn't have 47's trademark voice, but he's definitely up for the part.

I think Jason Statham would fit the role perfectly, Olyphant is such a fucking babyface. I really don't think this movie will be all that captivating with him as 47. Such a shame really, because I was looking forward to this so bad, but oh well...

Although I agree Jason Statham would do the part justice, the only one who should've played the part is David Bateson. I mean the guy did the voice of the original 47, his appearance was used for the character and best of all he is a well known Danish actor.

Very true. David Bateson would have been a perfect choice for 47. Too bad the movie is already in post-production. You can check out a mad clip of Bateson on youtube, at YouTube - Agent 47 (David Bateson)

Judging by the trailer, I'd say it is misleading at the least with all the good and evil bs. If you check out the hitman script, yes there is a leaked script of the movie, it is actually not bad at all with many references to the hitman game series which will please many fans of the games.

You have to admit that the scene where he takes up two uzis with the money flying everywhere around him is neat.

I'll Olyphant a chance. If they go with Statham, it'll be Transporter 3 : BARCODED :D . I think this will be one of the most stylish action movie since The City Of Violence though.

Is it just me or do the trailers make this movie seem sick? I sure hope it is cause the game to movie thing certainly has potential for this franchise.

The movie looks horrible =(

Hitman is about stealth, but it's just some big explosion-filled movie. I figured they'd fuck it up.

Are you honestly surprised, its a video game movie after all and the majority of them don't turn out very well except for the scatter one. I probably won't be seeing this movie. I might rent it when it comes out on video and only if I'm really bored.

I never said I was surprised. Hence why I said:

funny I remember the games giving you the option on whether or not to use stealth.

And how would they show stealth WELL in a trailer. And in fact THEY DID. Did you not see the part where he is about to assassinate the guy in the back the head when he has no clue?

I think they should of gone with jason statham.

It'll be interesting to see how they balance the stealth/action in the movie. If they're smart and know anything about the series at all, they'll include scenarios like the game that involve stealth (although I'm not sure how they'll address the whole disguise issue).

They did address in a sort of way. Many cameos and camera views that are reminiscent of the game.

Worth watching although the pace is a tad convulsed.

I just saw this and I really enjoyed it, it's a very good action film. I'm sure people hoping for a direct port of the game will bitch about it but a deviation from some of the games stealth elements is a good thing. Let's face it, if you stealth your way through the game it takes fucking hours and watching someone else doing it is beyond dull. If you want to watch a movie like that you have a funny idea of entertainment. Comparisons to Transporter are inevitable and I think Hitman is slicker and less silly. The American dude seems to be taking it seriously whereas Jason Statham looks like he knows the films are silly.

So yeah, if you like action films, go see it. If you're a "They've not made it like the game" bore then don't bother, stick to spending hours skulking in the shadows in the game instead.

Wow this movie was baaaaaaaaaad.

I mean, shit licking bottom of the barrel baaaaad.

I walked out about half way through this trashy flick. What the fuck were they thinking?