Shane Black’s Executioner

by

What is Shane Black’s Executioner ?

Shane Black has always been a fan of gritty crime stories, and this love is clear in his screenplays for films like Lethal Weapon, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and The Nice Guys. That’s why adapting Don Pendleton’s The Executioner novels is a perfect fit for him. These books follow Mark Bolan, a skilled sniper who becomes a one-man army battling a variety of villains – from the Mafia and the KGB to terrorists and cybercriminals – depending on the era of each story. Now, we’re finally getting Shane Black’s take on The Executioner.

What Shane Black’s Executioner can call on….

He’ll have plenty to work with, as the author, Pendleton, quickly began using hired writers after licensing his popular books. At their peak, these books were published at a rate of more than two per month, ultimately totaling an impressive 464 titles released between 1969 and 2020. Pendleton passed away in 1995, but his books continued to thrive, selling hundreds of millions of copies globally and inspiring spin-off series, a magazine, and comics.

The history of trying to get it to the big screen….

Over the years, several actors – including Sylvester Stallone, Burt Reynolds, and Steve McQueen – have been considered to play the lead role in a film adaptation of these books. In 2014, Bradley Cooper was close to being cast by Warner Bros., but, as has often happened, disagreements over the film rights stalled the project.

Shane Black is potentially directing a film based on ‘The Executioner,’ but Joel Silver will produce. Silver has long been a supporter of Black’s work and previously attempted to adapt the book into a movie in the early 1990s. He’s now secured the rights through Sony to finally bring the project to life.

Read More

2026-03-25 03:23