Movie News: Rege-Jean Page to Star in Paramount’s ‘The Saint’ Reboot Update: Doug Limon directing

[playahaitian]

Rege-Jean Page to Star in Paramount’s ‘The Saint’ Reboot (Exclusive)

Playwright-actor Kwame Kwei-Armah is writing the film.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Bridgerton's Regé-Jean Page gets his own James Bond-esque movie after clearing up 007 rumors

The heartthrob will star in a new version of The Saint.
By Nick Romano
July 27, 2021 at 03:16 PM EDT




Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page may not be playing the next James Bond, but he's getting his own 007-esque movie.
Page will star in and executive-produce a reimagining of The Saint for Paramount Pictures, EW has learned. Plot details have yet to emerge, but the original books and short stories by author Leslie Charteris follow Templar… Simon Templar, an international Robin Hood-esque figure who steals from the rich, gives to the poor, and keeps a percentage for himself. That makes him an enemy of the wealthy, including corrupt politicians and warmongers.

Roger Moore, who played Bond in films like Moonraker and The Spy Who Loved Me, also portrayed Simon Templar in a British TV series adaptation of The Saint that aired in the 1960s. Val Kilmer then famously starred in the 1997 film version.
Regé-Jean Page, and Roger Moore in 'The Saint'


Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Brad Krevoy will produce this new take on The Saint. (The late Robert Evans also has a producing credit.) Kwame Kwei-Armah is writing the script.

After the news came out, Page shared a GIF of Moore in the British series on Twitter.



U.K. betting firm Ladbrokes had pegged Page as a contender to succeed Daniel Craig as Agent 007 following No Time to Die. Page had fueled speculation after tweeting a reference to a famous Bond line in December: "Regency, royalty. Shaken and stirred."



However, Page clarified things while appearing on The Tonight Show in January.
"I think the internet thinks a lot of things, and that's one of the more pleasant ones," he said. "So I can please as far as that goes."
He added, "I think there might be an element of cultural translation to be done here. Like if you're a Brit, and you do something of any kind of renown that people regard well, then people start saying the B-word… It's like a merit badge, like the B-word merit badge; I'm very, very glad to have the badge. I'm glad to be in such wonderful company of people who have the badge. But it's a badge."




Since it was announced that Page would not be returning to Bridgerton for season 2 after his breakthrough performance as the sexy Duke of Hastings, he went on to land roles in Netflix's The Gray Man (opposite Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans) and Paramount's Dungeons & Dragons (opposite Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez). The man continues to be booked and busy.
The Hollywood Reporter first reported the Saint news.

Rege-Jean Page to Star in Paramount’s ‘The Saint’ Reboot (Exclusive)

Playwright-actor Kwame Kwei-Armah is writing the film.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

[playahaitian]

Rege-Jean Page to Star in Paramount’s ‘The Saint’ Reboot (Exclusive)
Playwright-actor Kwame Kwei-Armah is writing the film.

BY
BORYS KIT, AARON COUCH
JULY 27, 2021 11:00AM

Paramount is seeing Regé-Jean Page’s halo.
Page, the breakout actor from Neflix’s Bridgerton, has come aboard to star in and executive produce the studio’s reboot of The Saint. At the same time, playwright and actor Kwame Kwei-Armah has been brought in to write a new draft of the script for the adventure thriller. This is Page’s second project with Paramount following the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons.

Producing The Saint are Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Brad Krevoy, as well as Robert Evans, who died in 2019 and will receive a posthumous credit.



The moves put new energy behind the long-gestating project, which as late as last year had Chris Pine attached and Dexter Fletcher directing. That iteration of the project is now shelved, although Fletcher’s current involvement remains unclear. The filmmaker is well-regarded within the studio — he is currently directing Paramount Television Studios’ making-of-The Godfather limited series The Offer for Paramount+.



Saint is based on the early 20th century adventure novels by Leslie Charteris that featured a mysterious man named Simon Templar taking down various bad guys. The character proved quite popular, appearing in comics, serials and, of course, movies and television. Roger Moore famously starred in the 1960s British TV series of the same name, while Val Kilmer starred in Paramount’s 1997 film The Saint as a master of disguise. The logline for the new version is being kept under wraps.






Kwei-Armah co-wrote 892, an indie drama now shooting with John Boyega in the lead. He is also writing the Spike Lee musical All Rise. As a playwright, he won the Peggy Ramsey award and is currently serving as artistic director of The Young Vic in London.
Page’s work as Bridgerton heartthrob Simon Basset made him one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actors, with legions of fans disappointed when news came down in April that he would not be returning for the Netflix period drama’s second season.
Since his ascension to the top of Hollywood ranks, he lined up roles in the Russo brothers’ The Gray Man with Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling, as well as Paramount’s Dungeons & Dragons movie. Saint, which would reteam him with Paramount, would be his first time headlining a studio feature.
Page is repped by CAA, Mosaic, The Artists Partnership and attorney Greg Slewett. Kwei-Armah is repped by United Agents, Gotham Group, Redefine Entertainment and Lichter, Grossman.

 

[PsiBorg]

Again, another reboot. This just tells me that Hollywood and the movie industry is suffering from writer's block.

 

[geechiedan]

Could be interesting

 

[playahaitian]

Doug Liman to Direct Paramount’s ‘The Saint’ Reboot

Regé-Jean Page was earlier announced to executive produce and star in the studio's reimagined version.

www.hollywoodreporter.com