The New "A-Team"

Over at /Film they have the first look at the new A-Team. The cheesy 80's action series is being brought to the big screen by Joe Carnahan, the filmmaker who brought us Narc and Smokin' Aces. The film stars Bradley Cooper as "Faceman," Liam Neeson plays Hannibal, Sharlto Copley (who made a very impressive screen debut this summer as the "human" star of District 9,) plays "Howling Mad" Murdoch and finally, in the iconic B.A. Baracus role is former UFC Fighter Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

For awhile, in one of the MTV News edit suites, we had, hanging on the wall, a list of casting suggestions for a big screen edition of The A-Team. I believe it was my colleague Joe Keenan (the man behind one of my favorite blogs ep.com bookmark it) who first posted the "casting call." I thought any television property as cheesy as The A-Team, anything that '80's, would have to be handled in a comedic fashion. I had Ryan Reynolds in the "Faceman" role, George Hamilton was Hannibal, Jim Carrey was "Murdoch" and Mr. T. himself, despite his advanced years, reprised his role as B.A. Baracus. We were amused, of course, when we heard that after many development delays the actual movie version was greenlit. The real version, it seems, is not going with a comedic take and instead is doing something more in tune with Michael Mann's big screen Miami Vice, which took a very dated, very 80's premise and updated it and took it seriously.

I like my version of the A-Team better.