Taken 2 screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen has stated the obvious, saying that Fox wants a Taken 3 following the impressive debut of the Liam Neeson-starrer.
Speaking with Hollywood.com, Kamen said, “We didn’t start talking about [Taken 3] until we saw the numbers. But then we said, ‘Oh, okay. I think we should do a third one.’ And Fox wants us to do a third one.”
The numbers he refers to? A $49 million opening weekend stateside for Taken 2. For some context, the Taken filmmakers never even meant to have a sequel (let alone two) until after the film became a hit back in 2008, where it grossed $145 million domestically after a $24 million opening weekend. That’s more than double for the Taken 2 opening weekend, which makes a sequel a no-brainer for Fox.
The problem with this is just how absurd this story of Bryan Mills has become. Taken already pushed the limits on the believability scale, and when the idea of Taken 2 came about all many could ask was, “Again?!?!” So the idea of a third abduction plot-line involving Mills’ family is just ridiculous. Liam Neeson has said as much, speaking with the Empire Podcast on the possibility of a Taken 3:
“I don’t think it’s going to happen, I can’t see a possible scenario, that audiences wouldn’t go ‘Oh, come on. She’s taken again?'” before adding, wryly, “Unless we do one where I give her away.”
Here’s an idea: Bryan Mills goes on vacation with his family to Tijuana where he gives away his daughter as collateral for drugs. Then he uses the drugs.
Regardless of the feasibility of the story, it’s not as though people can’t forgive a ludicrous narrative if the film offers action and Liam Neeson being Liam Neeson. We’ll just have to wait and see.
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