Josh Hartnett Won’t Return for ‘The Faculty’ Reboot Despite Talks

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In the late 90s, Josh Hartnett, known for movies like “Black Hawk Down,” “Pearl Harbor,” and “The Black Dahlia,” made his Hollywood debut with two significant films released in 1998. One was “Halloween H20: 20 Years Later,” a highly underrated “Halloween” sequel, where he played Laurie Strode’s son and one of Michael Myers’ targets. The other was the teen sci-fi horror movie, “The Faculty,” in which he portrayed a troublemaking teenager who dealt drugs in a school taken over by aliens. With a remake of “The Faculty” now in development, Hartnett has expressed his thoughts about reprising his role as Zeke Tyler. However, fans might want to keep their expectations in check.

Currently, Hartnett is actively publicizing his new film titled “Fight or Flight“. In a recent episode of The Playlist’s podcast, The Discourse, Hartnett discussed the action-packed thriller that has garnered positive feedback thus far. When asked about the upcoming remake of Robert Rodriguez’s “The Faculty“, he was candid about his potential return to portray Zeke once more.

We had discussed the idea of reintroducing Zeke, but only under the condition that Robert Rodriguez directed and all original cast members were involved. I feel it’s essential to preserve Zeke’s image as we remember him from before. Zeke was a cherished character and the movie was perfect just as it was. They’re taking the story in a new direction, and that’s acceptable.

I tend to go for unique creations rather than replicas. “Fight or Flight” isn’t based on any pre-existing intellectual property. There’s nothing quite like the thrill that comes from experiencing something completely new and unexpected.

The film titled “The Faculty” was met with a varied response upon its initial release, as it was a spin-off of the classic horror movie “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” Despite this, it performed reasonably well at the box office. Notably, it demonstrated that Rodriguez could effectively contribute to Hollywood’s mainstream film industry with a solid script, penned by Kevin Williamson, the mastermind behind “Scream.” Now, it boasts a 57% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has cultivated a dedicated cult following.

The Josh Hartnett Resurgence Continues With ‘Fight or Flight’

In the thriller titled “Fight or Flight,” actor Josh Hartnett portrays Lucas Reyes, a previous Secret Service agent residing in Bangkok who is covertly enlisted by the authorities to apprehend an untraceable hacker, rumored to be boarding a flight destined for San Francisco. Critics are praising this role as another success for Hartnett, whose career has been on the rise following his appearances in Christopher Nolan’s historical film “Oppenheimer” and as the charismatic serial killer in M. Night Shyamalan’s “Trap.

Despite being unlike other projects, “Fight or Flight” shares similarities with the John Wick franchise, particularly in terms of its intricately choreographed fight scenes and stunts. In addition, during a podcast discussion, Hartnett mentioned that director James Madigan demanded physical prowess from the actors that is seldom seen.

One of James’ initial comments was, “‘Action sequences should be akin to musical performances.'” What he meant was that he desired character development to occur via actions. This aspect seemed crucial and, truthfully, quite intriguing.

In my mid-forties when we filmed it, I believed this could be one of my final opportunities to take part in something like this. Just as the John Wick movies, which these filmmakers created, show Keanu Reeves performing his own stunts, I too wanted to ensure that I could execute the action sequences myself.

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2025-05-17 01:36