Mystique Joins The Punisher

[Lafce]

The female leads have been cast.

June 26, 2003 - According to The Hollywood Reporter, the co-star of one of this summer's biggest Marvel movies is in talks to join one of summer 2004's Marvel releases. Rebecca Romijn-Stamos ("Mystique" in the X-Men films) is poised to join Laura Harring (Mulholland Dr.) in the cast of The Punisher. Thomas Jane and John Travolta star. The Artisan Entertainment/Marvel Studios project begins filming next month in Florida for a summer 2004 release. Jonathan Hensleigh will direct from his own screenplay.

The Punisher "revolves around a vigilante hero (Jane) who dispenses harsh justice to criminals after his wife and children are slain by the mob."

While the trade paper doesn't specify which role Romijn-Stamos landed (perhaps the doomed wife of Frank Castle?), "Harring will play Ivia Saint, the ruthless, vengeful wife of the film's evil Howard Saint (Travolta). Saint is a man involved in the criminal underworld who manages to conceal his violent beginnings and become a paragon of society. When the Saints' son is brutally slain, a darker, vengeful side re-emerges in the man."

Laura Harring's other credits include Willard, Little Nicky and John Q. Romijn-Stamos has also starred in Femme Fatale and Rollerball.

Very, very good choices!

[streetpreacher]

very nice casting, i'm really looking forward to see the movie, sounds like a very dark marvel comic to me. i don't know the comic book, but what i heard about the movie sounds like it could get rated r. i hope artisan won't cut it down to pg-13 for its theatrical release. i mean it's really cheap compared to the other marvel releases, so it should pay off for marvel and artisan even if it's rated r and won't gross as much as the pg-13 films.

[Marcus]

Agreed, streetpreacher.

This has the potential to be as dark (or darker?) then the first batmans which, imo, are the only two good batmans - batman was ment to be dark.

Punisher could be amazing but I feel that if cuts are made to make it PG-13 then we'll lose something. Then again Marvel might go that way....hope not though.

[blugh]

I think, considering Artisan is doing this which means it will probably be on a slightly lower budget, they won't be as concerned about making it all back. So, I think they'll go for the R, and I think they'll be hoping for Blade II size grosses. Which, if they do a solid job, shouldn't be a huge problem.