The Death Wish template of an ordinary man driven to vigilante vengeance has been used over and over again since the film’s 1974 release, so it was only a matter of time before someone decided to remake the original—either with a contemporary twist, or by just putting Liam Neeson in it. Of course, before Neeson became our nation’s chosen vessel for simmering middle-aged rage, Sylvester Stallone made his own dubious attempt to remake Death Wish, hoping to slip gracefully into the role of a mild-mannered architect seeking revenge on the criminals who attacked his family, and who just happens to have the conveniently muscular build of Sylvester Stallone. The project has been kicking around at MGM and Paramount ever since, and now the L.A. Times reports that a new offer is out to director Joe Carnahan from producers Ridley and Tony Scott as a reward for the success of The Grey—a decision that leads one to suspect that Carnahan, who also worked with Neeson on the Scott-produced The A-Team, will recruit his favorite underestimated tough guy to step in for Charles Bronson. And then Neeson can add “New York street toughs” under “wolves” and “the whole of Eastern Europe” to the list of things he’s punched square in the face.

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