Liam Neeson is one heck of a Taken tease

2009's Taken wasn't just one of Liam Neeson's biggest starring hits, it basically jolted his career into a whole other stratosphere. The usually calm, reserved actor known for playing similar roles in dramatic flicks was suddenly a renowned action hero. Taken, which was directed by Pierre Morel and written/produced by Luc Besson(The Professional), would gross over $220M worldwide. So a sequel? Pretty much assured. Liam Neeson even confirmed it a few months ago. So what's all this crap about Neeson backing out?

Deadline has been doing bang up reporting on the story. Basically it boils down to a scheduling problem. Luc Besson was ready to start shooting Taken 2 this year, but Neeson has been angling for all of 2011 off. He's been on one hell of run lately, and wants some time to recharge the ol' batteries. Besson began pressing the issue, entering talks with Olivier Megaton(Transporter 3, another Besson joint) to direct the film. Neeson began to withdraw from the talks, and Besson began a list of potential successors to take over the role. That list included Mickey Rourke(!!!), Sean Bean, Ray Winstone(Hmmm...), Ralph Fiennes, and Jason Isaacs. Yesterday, talks began anew and things started to change for the better.

A little while ago, Deadline reported that Neeson and Besson have ironed out their differences. Taken 2 is now shooting for a late 2011 or possibly even early 2012 start date, enough time for Neeson to get a little R&R.

Mickey Rourke. Crazy.