Don Cheadleis set to star inCanyon, a new action-thriller flick fromJohn Wickwriter Derek Kolstad, and it is sure to be a killer. Literally, in fact, based on its interesting premise: Cheadle will play the titular character, Canyon, a part-time jazz musician and full-time serial killer who finds himself in the middle of a turf war between two crime families after he becomes the unlikely guardian of a young singer.
The film will be directed by Colin Tilley,Deadlinereports, a famed music video director who has helmed clips for Megan Thee Stallion, Justin Bieber, and Halsey, among others. He made his feature directorial debut with the horror filmEye for an Eye, which is currentlyseeking distribution.
Cheadle is a renowned actor who received an Oscar nomination for his turn as activist Paul Rusesabagina inHotel Rwanda, the true story of a hotel manager who houses Tutsi refugees during their struggle with the Hutu militia in Rwanda, Africa
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The actor is also known for playing James “Rhodey” Rhodes, otherwise known as War Machine, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Other credits includeOcean’s Elevenand its sequels, as well asTraffic,Crash,Boogie Nights, and many, many other standout films. He has a bit of a reputation for good guy roles, though, so it will be interesting to see Cheadle play a more morally dubious character.
Kolstad has also worked in the MCU, writing two episodes ofThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier, though he is perhaps best known as the creator of theJohn Wickfranchise, having written the first three films in the Keanu Reeves-led series. He also wroteNobody, which starred Bob Odenkirk as a mild-mannered family man who goes toe to toe with a Russian crime boss. A sequel to the picture is currently in the works and expected to be released sometime in 2025, which he also wrote.
The titleCanyonalso being the main character’s name echoes the same convention seen withJohn Wick, though the acclaimed action franchisealmost went by another name. The first film was initially titledScorn, to reflect the character’s anger and disdain for the men who wronged him by killing his beloved dog. The unassuming yet somehow provacative name was never meant to be the title, but it was Reeves who accidentally made the name change happen. As Kolstad toldComicbook.comin 2020:
The only reason it’s called ‘John Wick’is that Keanu kept referring to it as ‘John Wick’[in interviews].Marketing was like, ‘Dude, that’s four to five million dollars in free advertising so far, so it’s ‘John Wick’instead of ‘Scorn.’ I can’t imagine it being ‘Scorn’now.
WillCanyonremainCanyonthroughout its production and eventual release, or will Cheadle inadvertently come up with something different and ostensibly better? As the film is in its early developmental stages, only time will tell.
