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Stevenson, Walken, and Kilmer Join the Cast of The Irishman

by Alex Billington
May 6, 2009

Ray Stevenson, Christopher Walken, Val Kilmer

Even though Punisher: War Zone wasn't a hit, it's definitely getting Ray Stevenson plenty of jobs. He's joining the cast of the mob drama The Irishman alongside of Christopher Walken and Val Kilmer (who were last seen together in True Romance). Filmmaker Jonathan Hensleigh, who previously directed 2004's The Punisher, will be directing this. Hensleigh also wrote the script, which is based on the life of mobster Danny Greene (Stevenson), who ran Cleveland's criminal underworld during the late 1970s. Walken will play infamous loan-sharking nightclub owner Shondor Birns, and Kilmer will play a Cleveland cop.

The story was inspired by Rick Porrello's true life book "To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia" (check it out on Amazon). Code Entertainment is developing the indie production, and Lightning Entertainment will be selling the distribution rights. Shooting starts mid-May in Detroit, so this is moving into production right away. It sounds like a good story, but obviously the most important part of this news is the cast. And they've indeed lined up on hell of a cast that already has my support. I'll definitely be seeing this, wherever it debuts, simply because I can't wait to see Stevenson, Walken, and Kilmer together.

Explore tags: Casting, Movie News

Nomad

Great news, Alex! Stevenson is also starring in "Tribes of October" with Robert Duvall, James Caan and Jaime King.
elessar

Having grown up near Cleveland (Youngstown-Warren to be exact), I remember my father telling me about this as he knew some of the people affiliated with the Cleveland mob (he was a doctor and some of them came to see him from time to time).
nitpick

well, actually Christopher Walken and Val Kilmer weren't seen together...
LINKFX

They were seen together in the same film, he didn't say they were in the same shot. They were both in the same film though, it's not hard to understand if you think about it. Classic Kilmer cameo, though...
Cody

Man haven't seen Kilmer in something in forever it seems...used to be one of my favorite actors.
goliad

Way to go Pullo!!! Ever since ROME i have been hoping to see stevenson in some good roles. i just saw the punisher recently and was very dissapointed. I'm pretty sure Marvel needs to put him (castle) back as a supporting character, he just cant drive an entire movie. in any case, Stevenson is a good actor and im looking forward to seeing him in many things.
shondorbirns

Hope Walken can pull off his character. Having grown in the Cleveland Hungarian neighborhood (Buckeye Road), I can say that Shon was a Robin Hood to our people. I don't think it mentions it anywhere but Shon actually shot Maxie Diamond when he was about 25. I wonder if the movie will tell who actually killed Shon on Holy Saturday '75. I was in stir when it happened, but heard about it in the breakfast chow that Easter morning from a Black Cleveland gangster named Herbie C. No phone calls nor newspapers were allowed, so how Herbie knew remains a mystery. One character who should steal the show is Hans Graewe. He is still locked up in Hazelton USP in WV. He had the highest body count from this group of West Side greaseball smugglers. Maybe Carmen Z. will show up at the premiere. A goode ending would have him finally arrested for mastermining the takedon of the Mafia. RIP Shondor. PS Don King ratted on Shon in '58. Bet they don't touch that story. Nor how King's hairdo was made by a shotgun blast. Buufffah.
Nomad

Have you read Rick Porrello's books on all of this? I think you'd really enjoy them. One is, of course, the source material for The Irishman film, "To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia," and the other is "The Rise and Fall of the Cleveland Mafia." Rick Porrello's website is http://americanmafia.com/ There's a Facebook page for the film, here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=80167523865&ref=ts
bhagenbdrinkin

danny greene killed shondor birns
dave

He was most likely an associate of Virgil Ogletree...which tells me someone who did business with the melanzane knew or was involved..It wouldnt surprise me to learn that King settled a grudge that day
dave

I wonder if they will replicate the old neighborhood...It would be amazing to see The Allegro Club or the Green Lantern (dorchester club)