Robert Downey Jr. and Shane Black to Launch Their PARKER Film Franchise with PLAY DIRTY
Not long ago we learned that Robert Downey Jr. and Shane Black were teaming up to develop a film and TV franchise based on Donald Westlake/Richard Stark's crime fiction novels involving a career criminal character named Parker.
Producer Joel Silver (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) is also a producer on the project, which is set up at Amazon, and it’s just been announced that the first film project in the franchise has been revealed with Play Dirty.
Downey Jr. is set to play Parker, “a professional thief who approaches his job with a straightforward, no-nonsense work ethic. He’s a craftsman. He’s brutal, brilliant. He’s also deadly. He’s whatever it takes to get the money and get away clean.”
Shane Black adapted the screenplay for Play Dirty with Charles Mondry and Anthony Bagarozzi, and he is also set to direct.
Doeney Jr. joins a long list of several other actors who have portrayed this character over the years including Lee Marvin in 1967's Point Blank, Jim Brown in 1968's The Split, Robert Duvall in 1973's The Outfit, Peter Coyote in 1983's Slayground, Mel Gibson in 1999's Payback, and Jason Statham in 2013's Parker.
Parker is also described as a ruthless career criminal and has almost “no traditional redeeming qualities, aside from efficiency and professionalism. Parker is callous, meticulous, and perfectly willing to commit murder if he deems it necessary. He does, however, live by one ethical principle: he will not double-cross another professional criminal with whom he is working, unless they try to double-cross him. Should that happen, Parker will unhesitatingly undertake to exact a thorough and brutal revenge.”
This seems like it will be a great role for Downey Jr. to take on. I’m looking forward to seeing what he does with it.
Source: Deadline