Simon West’s directing career started promisingly with the wicked action pleasure that is “Con Air,” but 15 directing credits later (many of them in TV), the filmmaker hasn’t really come close to matching those heights. But his latest film, “Wild Card” sounds at least promising. It’s remake of “Heat,” book and screenplay written by the great William Goldman (“All The President’s Men”), not to be confused with anything Michael Mann ever made. "Heat" was a 1986 action-thriller starring Burt Reynolds, but the production was botched and more than one director worked on the picture (Goldman contends the it was half a dozen helmers).
“[It was] one of my major disasters… [there were an] amazing number of directors who worked on the flick,” he wrote in the book “William Goldman: Five Screenplays with Essays.” “There were six in all and yes that is a record, and like DiMaggio’s batting streak, one that will never be broken. I am sanguine because it must always be remembered that the big six toiled on what was only a thirty-six day shoot.”
So, once more this time, but with a little less difficulty one presumes? West’s remake is titled “Wild Card” and stars Jason Statham as a recovering gambling addict finds work providing protection to his friends. The movie also stars Stanley Tucci, Sofía Vergara, Milo Ventimiglia, Michael Angarano and Anne Heche.
"Wild Card" opens in theaters in the U.S. and on Demand January 30th. So naturally, a new trailer, photos and a poster have been released. Can it remove the blemish on Goldman’s career or at least redeem itself partially? Well, it’s only a trailer, but judge yourself below.
