Some new photos have hit the web today from the second Taken movie. Clearly the studio wants to drum up buzz for the movie that really mainstreamed Liam Neeson while the veteran actor happens to be doing press for Battleship. Interestingly enough, Entertainment Weekly bit hard at the opportunity to publish these first photos from the Luc Besson-scribed feature which will hit theaters on October 5.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the plot, it is very much the opposite of the film’s predecessor. This time around it is Bryan Mills (Neeson) who gets abducted by Albanians, and his daughter (Maggie Grace) is tasked with saving him. It would certainly appear from this initial look we received today that Mills will definitely play a badass, so it also seems as if we must wait for the first trailer to drop to really get some semblance of what is exactly is going on. Confusing things further might even be the heavier role given to Famke Janssen who is returning as Mills’ ex-wife.
According to the interview that accompanied these photos, the film was shot in Istanbul as the movie’s plot has Mills there as a security guard of sorts for a sheik. Neeson’s character invites the ex and his daughter there when it turns out his ex’s marriage is on the rocks, and the film takes off from there.
Why things are set up in such a formulaic nature is anyone’s guess, but seeing how this is a Luc Besson-spawned feature we have all the confidence in the world that Taken 2 will not be ‘just to be a sequel;’ however, directing this time around is Oliver Megaton who is taking over for Pierre Morel. This director has worked with Besson in the past on Transporter 3 and Colombiana which were both poorly received by critics and audiences. It is with that being said that while optimistic, we also believe there is a small chance that his feature will be a complete disaster as well. Time will only tell how Taken 2 turns out to be the former or the latter.