Looks like The Sweeney has been nicked.
With mere weeks to go before filming was scheduled to start on Nick Love’s big-screen adaptation of the cult classic 70s cop show, Fox Searchlight has halted production on the $16 million movie, as it’s unsure about the international appeal of this very British show.
One of the chief concerns appeared to be the lack of a name actor. Ray Winstone had been set for some time to play Jack Regan, the role made famous by John Thaw, but talk of a big name to play his younger partner George Carter (the Dennis Waterman) part had fizzled out.
There had been early word of Jason Statham, but that came to naught and, instead, Michael Fassbender – who was Stelios in 300 and has been cast as Heathcliff in the forthcoming movie version of Wuthering Heights – looked set to play the role.
But while the movie was virtually assured to attract a sizeable audience back in Blighty, representatives for DNA Films, the company which was producing the movie, said that Fox Searchlight weren’t so optimistic about the movie’s chances overseas, hence the temporary pulling of the plug.
There’s still a good chance that the movie will go before the cameras next year, giving DNA and Love a chance to nab a big-name that will sell the movie abroad. So maybe Statham’s presence will become a reality after all.
We’d be sad to see this fall by the wayside, to be honest. OK, so Empire hasn’t had the greatest appreciation of Love’s oeuvre thus far, but he’s a confident director and The Sweeney seemed like the perfect fit for his guns’n’geezers style. We also really wanted to see the mid-film shoot-out that sprawled, Heat-style, across London – not to mention hear that iconic theme tune pumped through movie theatre speakers.
Fingers crossed that, in a couple of years’ time, we still can.