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Vince Vaughn to Produce & Star in Hostage Thriller 'The Risk Agent'

by Ben Pearson
July 25, 2012

Vince Vaughn made a name for himself in comedies like Swingers, Old School, and Wedding Crashers, but he's seen a bit of action in movies like The Lost World, The Cell, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith, too. Though he certainly hasn't left comedy behind - see the red-band outtake trailer for The Watch as an example - it seems Vaughn is attempting to transition into the action genre. Deadline reports that the actor's Wild West Picture Show Productions has picked up the rights to Ridley Pearson's novel The Risk Agent for Vaughn to produce and star in. It's a hostage thriller set in Shanghai, which is new territory for the actor. Read on!

The movie begins with the kidnapping of a Chinese national working at an American construction company and follows an extraction team from a firm called Rutherford Risk as they try to track down the missing worker. The team includes Vaughn's character, a take-no-prisoners type with training in combat and culture, and his female partner, a forensic accountant who is much more by the book. It's a twist on the typical buddy formula that Vaughn thrives in, but I don't think we've ever seen him do it quite this way with a female partner, so that should provide an interesting dynamic.

Vaughn is also suiting up for Gunslingers, an action adventure that sees heroes and icons of the past colliding with the urban reality of modern day Los Angeles, so that sounds pretty intriguing as well. I'm glad Vaughn seems to be stepping out of his comfort zone a bit, since his past few theatrical offerings like The Dilemma and Four Christmases have been pretty stale. Hopefully this little jaunt to the action genre can continue a jump start in his career if The Watch delivers a solid comedy. Interested?

Filed under Casting, Development, Movie News

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