'Taken' Writer Out For Vengeance

Published on December 8, 2009 by Martyn Conterio · View Comments

TAKEN Last year’s action thriller Taken starring Liam Neeson was a blast of fresh air in an increasingly stale genre. It was one and a half hours of bad people getting their arses kicked. Its no-nonsense approach, taut direction and strong lead made it an instant b-movie classic. Its writer – Robert Mark Kamen – has just sold his latest script to CBS Films. Entitled Vengeance, the writer describes it as:

“”Basically, it’s a contemporary revenge love story — what happens when violence meets love. The main characters are 20 and Italian, and there are themes that echo films like ‘The Godfather.’ It’s about family loyalty and how much someone owes their family and the past. It’s not set in the gangster milieu but just outside it.”

Sounds ace!

Kamen also announced the script for Taken 2 has been finished and it all depends on Liam Neeson’s availability next year as to whether it gets done or not. Neeson, more noted for his dramatic roles than kicking ass, was a revelation as the ex-CIA man on the warpath in Paris when his daughter is kidnapped by people traffickers. Taken’s co-writer Luc Besson has spent the past few years as a scriptwriter and producer of modest-budget action films with a strong European flavour. It has “taken” the genre into new and exciting territory. Expect more news on Vengeance and Taken 2 in 2010.