Henry Cavill’s ‘Stratton’ Gets A Director, Training Underway
Henry Cavill’s new action film Stratton finally has a director and word is the Brit is already training for his role as a Royal Marine.
Simon West has come on board at the helm for Stratton, with shooting scheduled for this summer in London and Italy. The list of movies under his belt include Con Air, The Expendables 2, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and the director is thrilled to join Henry Cavill, whom he praised extensively.
“I have been looking for an opportunity to establish a new UK based action character for some time and Stratton fits the bill perfectly. The greatest challenge was always going to be who can play a character like that and bring depth and realism. I have followed Henry Cavill’s work for while now and I cannot imagine a better actor to take on this role. Henry is the reason this project is now possible.”
Stratton will be based on the first in the Duncan Falconer (a pseudonym) series. The character — SBS operator John Stratton — is based on the author’s own personal experiences as an ex Royal Marine.
Henry Cavill is known for devoting 110 percent to physically prepare for his roles, which have been mostly action type parts in movies such as Immortals and Superman, in Man of Steel. Each role has required the handsome 30-year-old British star to transform his body and he has given his all in the process of making his characters come to life.
But for Stratton, Cavill has added pressure as this is the first project he undertakes with his newly formed company Promethean Productions. Henry’s character will be tasked with hunting down an international terrorist cell through Central Asia, mainland Europe, and London. The actor commented on West’s addition to the production.
“I’ve long wanted to tell a story about the British Special Forces and finally the opportunity has come around. Duncan Falconer’s work is fantastic and we are incredibly fortunate to be working with him so closely. We plan to convert the books to cinema as accurately as possible while keeping them topical. Simon West is a perfect match for this movie with his ability to marry story telling and action, both of which are essential to do this project justice.”
As one of five brothers – one of which is a Royal Marine – Henry Cavill was mercilessly teased because of his chosen profession. This elicited the sarcastic comment from his siblings that he was “a soft actor who’s never worked a day in his life,” however the perception quickly changed when they visited him on the set and witnessed first hand the kind of work he has to do.
It is unclear what version of the 32 week training for Royal Marines Henry Cavill will have to undergo for Stratton, but Falconer gave us a brief version of what awaits the actor. “Next stage is to get him in the field, get him wet, cold, tired, put a gun in his hands, and take it from there.”
[Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Entertainment]
