The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is an upcoming American action film written by David Koepp and directed by Tony Scott. The film is a remake of the original thriller novel The Taking of Pelham One Two Three by Morton Freedgood and its two film adaptations. Production of the remake began in March 2008, and the film is slated for release on June 12, 2009. The film has been rated R for Violence and Pervasive Language by the MPAA.

Premise

In “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3,” Denzel Washington stars as New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber, whose ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train. John Travolta stars as Ryder, the criminal mastermind who, as leader of a highly-armed gang of four, threatens to execute the train’s passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages. But there’s one riddle Garber can’t solve: even if the thieves get the money, how can they possibly escape?

Production

In September 2007, actor Denzel Washington teamed up with director Tony Scott, with whom he had frequently collaborated, to remake The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, an original thriller novel which had seen film adaptations in 1974 and 1998. Screenwriter David Koepp penned the script for the remake. Koepp faced the challenge of updating the novel with contemporary technology, including cell phones, GPS, laptops, and thermo-imaging. The screenwriter also had to carefully consider the premise of a terrorist situation in New York in a post-9/11 world. Production began in March 2008.

Other Information

• Genre : Action, Thriller
• Filming Locations : Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA
• Company : Escape Artists
• Release date : June 12, 2009
• Country : United States
• Language :  English

Cast and Credits

• Directed by : Tony Scott
• Produced by : Tony Scott, Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch
• Written by : David Koepp
• Starring : Denzel Washington, John Travolta, James Gandolfini, Luis Guzman, John Turturro, Gbenga Akinnagbe
• Music by : Harry Gregson-Williams
• Cinematography : Tobias A. Schliessler
• Editing by : Chris Lebenzon
• Distributed by : Columbia Pictures

Links

• The Taking of Pelham 123 at the Internet Movie Database
• The Taking of Pelham 123 – Allmovie
• The Taking of Pelham 123 – Comingsoon.net

Tags: columbia pictures, john travolta