May 16 2007Thomas Jane Drops Out of Punisher 2, Touch With Reality
I just love my new triceps. Thanks, meth!
Thomas Jane is pulling out of Punisher 2. In a barely coherent strongly worded letter to AICN, he writes,
"I’m writing to tell you that I regretfully and painfully had to pull out of P2. I can’t tell you how completely broken up I am about it. After busting my ass at the gym four days a week for almost two years, watching every character driven action pic that any fan would ask me to watch while I was standing in line buying egg whites and Tuna fish (Leon the Professional, Oldboy, The Seven-Ups (GREAT flick), Point Blank, Escape from NY, The Driver, Magnum Force, The Mechanic, The Great Silence, Sexy Beast, Nighthawks, Cry Vengeance (check it out), Road Warrior, Man on Fire, Outlaw Josey Wales, Rocky (think about it), Serpico, etc etc etc.) after countless Saturday nights making notes and drinking soda water and munching on seaweed sticks while my daughter slept on my lap to the sound of automatic gunfire, (now she can’t sleep without it. I had to make a tape of automatic gunfire to play in her room at night) after hauling myself to any ‘Guns! Knifes! Ammo!’ show in any small town that I found myself in shooting Killshot or The Mist or Mutant Chronicles, after torn ligaments, screwed up rotator cuffs, thousands of $$$ on ridiculously huge vitamins, overly long conversations with frighteningly tall men about The Fastest Way To Kill Someone With Your Bare Hands, and after a dude refused to sell me a Fatburger at 2am on Santa Monica Blvd, I am, sadly – no, make that heartbrokenly – fuck it - just rip out the heart and stomp it into the pavement a couple of times – pulling out. Punisher fans are already fighting an uphill battle as it is. And I’ve always felt a responsibility to fight that fight for them and with them so that Frank Castle gets the treatment he deserves."
To me, the two most shocking things about this story are: A. They were making a Punisher sequel? Why why why? and B. Wow, Thomas Jane must do a lot of cocaine.
Seriously, buddy, after a ramble like that I think it's clear you need to switch to Adderall.
On the bright side, perhaps they can get Dolph Lundgren back! I heard he's not doing anything. From his grandma. With whom he now lives.
Reader Comments
1. Dracula Jones - May 16, 2007 12:33 PM
He just wants his kids back.
2. Weez - May 16, 2007 12:42 PM
He's describing all of the movies that he was told to watch, by the fans of the comic book, in order to prepare for the role.
This was a letter to a writer at Ain't It Cool News, so that's why it doesn't make sense to you.
3. Vince - May 16, 2007 12:59 PM
It makes sense, it's just rambling. Though I do find it hard to keep up with those titans of intellect over at AICN.
4. John Raide - May 16, 2007 1:08 PM
Shit.
5. nomad - May 16, 2007 1:19 PM
I always thought he should have played Daredevil, maybe they can redo that franchise like they are with the Hulk.
6. edb87 - May 16, 2007 1:22 PM
This depresses me. I actually liked The Punisher movie and would have loved him in a second one where Frank Castle (hopefully) turns from depressed man to psycho killer.
7. Willravel - May 16, 2007 1:29 PM
I wish that other actors could come to the same conclusion. Can you imagine if Harison Ford suddenly realized that IJ4 was going to ruin the series? Can You imagine if Val Kilmer and George Clooney said no to playing Batman? Can you imagine Ben Aflack, Nick Cage, Michael Chiklis, Wes Snipes, Sean Connery, Sylvester Stalone, and Pam Anderson would have dropped out because their comic book movies were going to ruin the comic book? Can you imagine if they would have hired a man to play Spider-Man instead of a fetus? I can.
Comic books are an American form of literature that deserves some respect, and every time we get a movie like Spawn or Batman and Robin, we're killing a part of American Literature. I'm convinced that comic books and graphic novels should stay in their medium. I won't be watching any more comic book movies, and I hope others will join me.
8. matt k - May 16, 2007 1:54 PM
Hey, I only hope other actors feel such a commitment ans responsibility to a role that they KNOW has a huge fan-base. No need to be snarky, dude, I think it's cool that he took that much time and effort into this. Would you rather he was all Kirsten "I don't care about comic book movies 'cause they's all stoopid" Dunst?
9. Vince - May 16, 2007 2:23 PM
I respect him but I still have to bust his balls.. Let's be honest, there's always a need to be snarky.
10. B.Kirk - May 16, 2007 4:44 PM
He apparently has a grasp on parenthetical asides, commas, and the use of the double dash. Contrast that with Courtney Love's writing "style," which looks suspiciously like she uses her forehead to type, and Thomas Jane appears to be a friggin' genius, not a cokehead. (Meaning I would still totally have sex with him if he asked me to.)
11. matt k - May 16, 2007 5:36 PM
"Let's be honest, there's always a need to be snarky."
Heehee!! Too true, sir, I stand corrected (not that I actually have to be standing (though I was when I typed that (but not now (but really this is just a gag to use a bunch if parantheticals (because I'm just like T. Jane (as I'm the Punisher (because I wax just my stomach and plan to kill Travolta))))))).
12. Nienna - May 16, 2007 5:37 PM
Dracula Jones, marry me!
13. geff - May 16, 2007 9:48 PM
"There's a .45 in the fridge, and you grab a FUCKING frying pan!"
14. Daniel Ashe - May 17, 2007 2:52 AM
Mother Fucker... I know the first Punisher wasn't the greatest action movie ever made, but it was pure non-CGI fun. Thomas Jane kicked complete and utter ass and the Russian fight was so close to the comic that it looked as if the movie's producers had maybe even flipped through an issue or two. I have been looking forward to this movie since the first one came out. All movies come in three packs now right? Thomas Jane thinks he's broken up about it? I'm going to be the one looking at his picture, beating off, and crying as soon as I hit post. Please come back to the movie Thomas, I promise I'll never hit you again, baby.
15. Dorepoll - May 17, 2007 4:23 AM
Damn, that's a shame. I've been reading Garth Ennis' run of The Punisher lately, and it reminded me why I love Frank Castle so much.
The first movie wasn't great, but I still had hope.