Samuel L. Jackson – as we're starting to get sick of hearing – is the Coolest Man In The World. Not even starring in films as bad as The Man, Coach Carter and the Shaft remake can detract from Samuel L. Jackson's innate coolness.
But you've got to credit Samuel L. Jackson for his outstanding effort in trying to destroy his cool image as often as he can. That can be the only reason why Samuel L. Jackson has signed up to star alongside the Billy Elliot kid in Jumper, a magical film about a boy that can teleport himself that's named after a piece of clothing that your Granny gives you at Christmas.
Just lately, we've noticed a touch of the Shatners about Samuel L. Jackson. There's the Shatneresque decision to make a slightly-but-not-really pisstake film called Snakes On A Plane about some snakes on a plane, for example, or the way that he's starting to send up his hardman image in career missteps like The Man. Seriously, all he needs to do is piss out a kidney stone and sell it to a casino and the transformation is complete.
With that in mind, it's hard to tell if Samuel L. Jackson's decision to star in Jumper, a film about a boy with the power of teleportation being chased by a policeman is a real, serious career move or a big knowing wink to moviegoers. Here are the details according to Reuters, make your own mind up.
Based on the Steven Gould novel, "Jumper" follows a kid
from a broken home (Tom Sturridge) who discovers that he has
the ability to teleport. In his quest for the man he believes
is responsible for the death of his mother, the kid draws the
attention of the National Security Agency and another youth
(Jamie Bell) with the same abilities.Jackson will play the NSA agent tracking the jumper, and
may have ulterior motives for finding him.
The signs are pointing to Jumper being a serious movie; it's being directed by Mr & Mrs Smith director Doug Liman, and there appears to be plans to turn Jumper into a trilogy. We'll probably only know for sure when there's news that some of Jumper was re-shot so that it contains scenes of Samuel L. Jackson barking "I want that motherfucking Billy Elliot kid off the motherfucking teleportation unit."
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Samuel L. Jackson hops on Jumper – Reuters
[story by Stuart Heritage]