Did you hear yesterday’s news? Whether you did or not, I’m sure after I mention it you will realize it is inspired news. In fact, not only is it brilliant casting, it’s the best casting decision you’ll probably hear about this week. What the what? What could this news be?
Turns out, Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man, Fitzcarraldo) will play the villain opposite Tom Cruise in One Shot, an adaptation of the 2005 Lee Child novel directed by Christopher McQuarrie. The film will serve as Herzog’s first major acting role at the age of 69 and he’s joining a cast that already includes Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, David Oyelowo and Robert Duvall.
In the film Cruise plays Jack Reacher, an ex-Army cop who investigates the case of a sniper accused of murdering five people before being captured. Herzog will play The Zec, an ex-prisoner of war who arranges and stages the killing and is the head of the conspiracy.
Considering Herzog is more-or-less an untested actor, outside of small roles in films such as Incident at Loch Ness and The Grand, it will be interesting to see just how exactly this character is portrayed in the film. The Hollywood Reporter refers to the character as an “ageless and shadowy figure”, which leads me to believe he may not be getting a ton of onscreen time and perhaps play a larger part in a continuing franchise. Might McQuarrie be creating his own version of James Bond’s Blofeld character?
Not having read the book, it would seem Russ Fischer (who has) at Slashfilm is onto something when he references the The Zec’s early appearances in the novel and how they are predominantly via the telephone. A behind-the-scenes man pulling the strings and pushing the buttons. I assume it’s either that or he’ll be something like the guy from Lethal Weapon 2… “Diplomatic immunity!”
Over at The Guardian, Catherine Shoard gives me even more reason to believe we’re looking at this story’s version of Bond’s Blofeld when she writes:
UPDATE: Russ Fischer tells me Shoard has one detail wrong, The Zec “(in the novel) is not confined to a wheelchair.” There is no word on whether or not the character in the film will be.
In the book [The Zec’s] age (80) is, in fact, fairly precise, likewise his mobility (
he’s wheelchair-bound) and the number of fingers he has left (not a lot). He’s a silent puppetmaster who commands such power over his subordinates that when he tells one of them to shoot themselves, they do so without question.
Everything considered, I can’t help but join in the chorus in saying I too am excited to see how this turns out. Herzog is an interesting character himself. His documentary narration is fascinating because he tackles some crazy topics, his scripts are some of the most colorful out there and the way he reads them just adds to the fascination. As a shadowy character with that voice, this could really work.
One Shot is currently filming and will hit theaters on February 8, 2013. Here’s the complete official synopsis:
Six shots. Five dead. One heartland city thrown into a state of terror. But within hours the cops have it solved: a slam-dunk case. Except for one thing. The accused man says: You got the wrong guy. Then he says: Get Reacher for me. And sure enough, ex–military investigator Jack Reacher is coming. He knows this shooter–a trained military sniper who never should have missed a shot. Reacher is certain something is not right–and soon the slam-dunk case explodes. Now Reacher is teamed with a beautiful young defense lawyer, moving closer to the unseen enemy who is pulling the strings. Reacher knows that no two opponents are created equal. This one has come to the heartland from his own kind of hell. And Reacher knows that the only way to take him down is to match his ruthlessness and cunning–and then beat him shot for shot.
Now with all of this casting news out of the way, watch as Herzog voices a plastic bag:
