Neeson in Talks to Lead "The A Team"
Actor's first new movie since wife's tragic death
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Liam Neeson is in talks to play Col. John "Hannibal" Smith in a movie version of the '80s TV hit "The A-Team."
Liam Neeson could soon be telling moviegoers that he "loves it when a plan comes together."
In his first new role since the tragic death of his wife, the Irish actor is in talks with 20th Century Fox to star in its bigscreen adaptation of "The A-Team" as Col. John "Hannibal" Smith, according to Variety. The role was originally played by the late George Peppard in the 1980s action show.
Bradley Cooper is in early talks to play Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck in movie, which will be directed by Joe Carnahan and sue for release in one year. The producers include Ridley Scott and series creator Stephen J. Cannell.
Neeson, who lost his wife Natasha Richardson, in a freak skiing accident outside of Montreal in March, is coming off the global hit "Taken" and most recently completed "Chloe" and "Clash of the Titans."
Cooper is in line for a big payday after his starring role in Todd Phillips-directed hit "The Hangover." He just completed playing the title role opposite Sandra Bullock in "All About Steve."
Carnahan, Fox and Scott Free have kept the series premise -- four war vets wrongly convicted of armed robbery escape from a military prison to become do-gooder mercenaries, according to Variety. But they've replaced the campy nature of the series with a tone closer to those of "Mission: Impossible" and "Ocean's Eleven."
Still to be cast are the roles of Capt. "Howling Mad" Murdock, played by Dwight Schultz in the original, and Sgt. "B.A." Baracus, the role that made Mr. T an '80s icon.
Posted Monday, Jul 13, 2009 - 8:18 PM EST
