Well, that was quick.
Just one week ago, Robert De Niro exited Martin Campbell’s currently-shooting thriller, Edge Of Darkness, citing creative differences. With filming underway, Campbell and producer Graham King decided to shoot material not featuring De Niro, while casting around for a replacement.
And today, Ray Winstone signed on to the movie, which stars Mel Gibson as a cop who uncovers a government conspiracy while investigating his daughter’s death.
Winstone will play a government agent sent in to clean up the evidence and, presumably, butt heads with Gibson. We’re guessing, but we’re not sure, that this is the equivalent of the Joe Don Baker character from the 1985 BBC mini-series, also directed by Campbell, on which the film is based. Gibson, of course, plays the role first assayed by the late, great Bob Peck.
So… Winstone for De Niro. That’s not a bad trade-off – there aren’t many actors who would have the gravitas and guts to convincingly fill a role meant for Bobby De Niro, but Winstone is one of them. And he’s worked with King before, on The Departed, so it looks like a case of all’s well that ends well.