While it feels like he mostly stars in revenge action movies these days, Liam Neeson does occasionally find time to play different types of tough guys. He's looking to tackle an iconic character, nabbing the lead in Marlowe, which will bring the latest incarnation of Raymond Chandler's 'tec to screens.
The Departed's William Monahan has written the script for producer Gary Levinson and Nickel City Pictures. Monahan adapted a Marlowe story that wasn't actually written by Chandler, but instead featured in Benjamin Black's 2014 novel The Black-Eyed Blonde. "The book by Benjamin Black was a pleasure to adapt, and with Marlowe there’s no chance of even being asked to do it left-handed," Monahan tells Variety. "You have to do Chandler justice, carry a very particular flame, or stay home."
Set in the early 1950s, the plot finds private detective Marlowe as restless and lonely as ever, and concerned that business is slow. But then a beautiful blonde client sashays into his office and asks him to find her ex-lover. Naturally, the case soon turns into something much more serious, involving one of the more powerful families in the city willing to do anything to protect their fortune.
If he does end up making the film, Neeson will join the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Eliott Gould and Robert Mitchum in playing the character. The actor will next be seen in true-life spa saga Felt and action pic The Commuter, the latter of which arrives on 19 January next year.