Frank Grillo was recently heard voicing his Marvel movies baddie character Brock Rumlow/Crossbones in Marvel Studios’ What If…? on Disney+, but he’s back in theaters again this weekend in the gritty action film COPSHOP.
It’s Grillo’s sixth movie with writer-director Joe Carnahan, and has Grillo playing a man bun-wearing sleazy con man on the run from Gerard Butler‘s hitman, Bob, who was hired by the crooks from which Grillo’s character stole. Grillo’s Teddy is in so much trouble that he gets himself arrested by punching out a small-town rookie cop — stand-out newcomer Alexis Louder — but things take a turn when Butler’s character also gets himself locked up just to get at Teddy.
“It’s me and Butler, in a police station for the first two acts,” Grillo tells ABC Audio. “I mean, a lot goes on, but it’s this weird kind of 70s thriller until the third act is a full-blown action movie.”
Grillo’s work with Carnahan going back to 2011, in the acclaimed Liam Neeson man-vs.-wolves flick The Grey. The pair has since partnered up in their own production company, Warparty, for which they’ve made in rapid-fire a series of “elevated” genre movies starring Grillo, including Wheelman on Netflix, and Boss Level, which was a success for Hulu.
Lock in some corrupt cops, and a deliciously psychotic competing hitman played by Toby Huss, and COPSHOP is a pulpy, bloody nod to John Carpenter‘s classic Assault on Precinct 13.
Grillo adds with a laugh of his buddy Carnahan, “I mean, the guy’s a mad genius. Crazy as a loon, but a genius.”
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