Since his debut in the ’80s, Liam Neeson has starred in many movies of just about every genre. But, as his career has progressed, he seems to have found himself sitting comfortably in, more often than not, the action genre. Of those many action movies, which ones have been one-offs that left some fertile ground for sequels unexplored? For the most part, they’re movies released in the wake of Taken‘s success; for our list, the idea is that Neeson could still actually star in the sequel being pitched. Considering Neeson’s characters died in Excalibur and Krull, those films are out. Not to mention, Darkman already received a pair of sequels, which excludes them from consideration (though neither sequel featured Neeson).
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When it comes to post-Taken Neeson actioners, he’s also died in The Grey, Run All Night, The Marksman, Memory, and Absolution. That said, if The Grey 2 was just an hour and 45 minutes of Neeson fighting wolves, we’d be there on opening night.
Here are 3 Liam Neeson action movies that should still get sequels.
The A-Team
Are there many people out there clamoring for a sequel to 2010’s The A-Team? No, but if Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton Jackson, and Sharlto Copley are up for it, the quartet could assemble once again.
The key would be to lower the budget and maybe darken the tone without losing the fun. Director Joe Carnahan is at his best when his films combine grit with an energetic pacing (see Narc, Smokin’ Aces, and Copshop for examples). The A-Team was essentially his one movie with a blockbuster-sized budget, so if anything, he’s more comfortable making more restrained films. That could work with The A-Team. And, as their collaboration on The Grey proved, the mixture of Carnahan and Neeson can result in magic.
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A Walk Among the Tombstones
In and of itself, A Walk Among the Tombstones does not warrant a sequel. By the end of the film, just about everybody is dead except Neeson’s private investigator Matthew Scudder – including the two villains Albert (Adam David Thompson) and Ray (David Harbour, soon appearing in Thunderbolts). But, without a doubt, this is still the Neeson actioner that is most due for a sequel.
On one hand, it’s a compelling mystery thriller and Neeson is great in the lead role. But, more importantly, it was based on a book by Lawrence Block, who has written a whopping 18 books featuring Scudder as the protagonist. There is a surplus of source material to mine in crafting one or more follow-ups. The first book, The Sins of the Fathers, would work. That novel has Scudder investigating a girl’s death after the case is closed, when her father requests some further digging. Surprisingly enough, the trail ends up leading right back to the aforementioned father.
There’s also Everybody Dies (the 14th book), which has Scudder licensed by the state to serve as a P.I. only to get roped into an investigation by his shady friend, which then tanks Scudder’s growing reputation. Lastly, there’s Eight Million Ways to Die, which was actually already adapted into a 1986 film starring Jeff Bridges. That movie wasn’t particularly good despite Bridges’ best efforts, so there’s only room for improvement.
Cold Pursuit
Like the similarly excellent Non-Stop, Cold Pursuit has a pretty tight narrative that works as a one-off. But if Neeson’s third icy action thriller, The Ice Road, can get a sequel, so too can this one, which is arguably the best Neeson action flick outside The Grey (his first icy action thriller, leading one to believe that perhaps his best action vehicles are covered in snow).
One might argue that The Commuter more naturally leads into a sequel than Cold Pursuit, considering the final scene has Neeson’s Michael MacCauley preparing to arrest Vera Farmiga’s mysterious Joanna (who’s to say she’d go quietly?), but Cold Pursuit has a better lead character in Nels Coxman. It would be fun to see him systematically dismantle another gang, even if it’s one that didn’t take his son from him.
What Liam Neeson action movies do you want to get sequels? Let us know in the comments below!
