Bradley Cooper to Play Commando 'Mack Bolan'; Todd Phillips to Direct

If The Hangover Part III wasn't clue enough, Todd Phillips isn't interested in doing what's easy or comfortable. He simply could have rehashed the first two hit comedies and been done with the entire franchise, but instead he went dark....like really dark. Audiences may not have taken to it but that won't stop Phillips is trying new things, and he's enlisted buddy Bradley Cooper to help him do it.

Deadline reports that Phillips will direct Cooper in a new franchise based on Don Pendleton's Mack Bolan character, seen in 38 novels since 1969. Known as "The Executioner", Bolan is a hardcore commando whose exploits are chronicled in "The Mafia Wars" series of books, and he's appeared in hundreds of paperback serializations over the years. Writing the script will be Shane Salerno, the Savages scribe who is currently at work on James Cameron's Avatar 4. His goal is to make “relevant, grounded and gritty, real-world, PG-13 action-drama" so don't expect much in the way of over-the-top violence.

This would be Cooper's first action franchise where you can actually see him act, unlike in Guardians of the Galaxy where he's merely heard as Rocket.   Cooper is also set to produce Phillips' next feature, Arms & the Dudes, which Jonah Hill is now circling.