Liam Neeson’s Taken was an easy hit. It was fun, over-the-top, slightly cheesy, and an undoubted boon in the actor’s already stellar career. But let’s be honest. We all giggled a little when we saw the trailer for Taken 2 . And even Neeson himself is reluctant about the possibilities of Taken 3 .
In an Empire Online podcast, the Irish actor talked about his latest butt-kicking adventure, even joking a bit about some of the film’s more tongue-in-cheek elements. Empire noted the Maggie Grace character’s singing ambitions, and their absence from the Taken 2 trailer. “Of course, what about her singing career?,” Neeson responded. “I’d forgotten all about that. Taken 5: Kim’s First Concert .”
Taken 5 ? What, are the filmmakers planning on rolling one out every year like the Saw franchise? How many times can Neeson really use his “particular set of skills” to save his family members from the danger of the Eastern-European sex-trafficking mob? Who’s he going to save next, his brother-in-law?
Honestly, even Neeson thinks that a potential Taken 3 would be pushing the concept past its “use by” date.
“I don’t see it,” he replied. “I don’t think it’s going to happen. I really don’t. I can’t see a possible scenario where audiences wouldn’t go, ‘Oh, come on … ! She’s taken again?’ ”
Neeson talks a bit about the possible future of the franchise in the podcast (which you can listen to here ), but honestly? All we see is a straight-to-DVD re-hash of everything that worked in the first film, starring a younger actor whose character was Neeson’s protegee or something resembling a one-line-fix. That’s our vision for Taken 3 .
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