A-Team Movie

Eric Rescorla speculates about casting for an A-Team movie (should someone in Hollywood ever get the urge to make one). Nice. But my first thought was, why not let the original actors play the roles? (They’d have to find somebody to take over Hannibal, of course.) Sure, it could be done, but that isn’t really how Hollywood works, sadly. It would have to fit the pattern of movies based on old TV shows: tweak the concept to bring it up to date, and cast current movie actors in the roles.

So, if an A-Team movie couldn’t be made with the original cast (I mean, could anyone other than Mr. T play B.A. Baracus? Really?), here’s my take on the Hollywood-ified concept and cast:

Plot: Four Desert Storm vets, framed for a crime they didn’t commit, help the innocent while on the run from the military. (Timing fits perfectly; in the mid-80s, they were Vietnam vets.) Of course, the opening voice-over (remaining true to the TV show, up to the point) goes:

In 1992 a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the [current hot/popular city] underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire the A-Team.

Think along the lines of the aftermath of “Three Kings,” maybe.

And the cast, my take:

Hannibal: George Clooney (must have “Three Kings” on the brain… but also think “Ocean’s Eleven“)
B.A.: Tough one. I’m thinking Chi McBride.
Face: Hmm. How about Aaron Eckhart?
Murdock: Ben Stiller (how could you not?)

And of course, all the usual elements have to be there: the van, breaking Murdock out of the mental hospital, B.A. has to be tricked into flying (“Hey B.A., drink this glass of milk”), they have to be locked up in a tool shed or a machine shop or something so they can build some sort of weapon/vehicle/means of escape, and finally, of course, Hannibal has to be “on the jazz.”

:)

20 comments

  1. Chi McBride? Aaron Eckhart? Who are these people? oh! look, imdb links 🙂
    ok. So, Chi McBride? Who are this guy? 🙂 Aaron Eckhart always plays some kind of a conniving bad guy. What about Alan Alda? (Scientific American Frontiers)….. oh. yeah I’ve been watching MASH reruns again haven’t I 🙂 Ok switching brain into current-timeframe casting options. That brought up an image of Ashton Kutcher which in turn induced nausea. S’whadabout Bill Pullman? I think he’s the man for the job. He even worked with Ben Stiller on Zero Effect.

    All I’m really worried about is that someone will cast Berny Mac or Zeus or L L Cool Bean to be BA; I have no idea who can live up to the T. I do remember LL’s cameo in Charlie’s Angels though, he summed up the whole situation quite nicely. 🙂

    —–
    We don’t like the moooon!
    It’s not very close to us.

  2. Hmm, I never thought of LL Cool J. Maybe, maybe.

    In "The Core," Aaron Eckhart was the hero, not the bad guy.

    I don’t know about Bill Pullman; doesn’t really fit for the role, in my mind.

    And Ashton Kutcher? Hell NO!

    🙂

  3. No, No, No

    Hannibal: Bruce Willis
    BA: Vin,Vin, Vin, or Vin
    Face: Rob Lowe
    Murdock: Owen Wilson

  4. Hmm. Owen Wilson might work, but what’s funny is that when I was considering Ben Stiller as Murdock, I wondered about Owen Wilson for Face… except they just paired up in that other movie-based-on-an-old-TV-show.

  5. O.K. What about….

    Hannibal: Keifer
    B.A. Ice Cube
    Face: Rob Lowe or Val Kilmer (Remember him as Simon Templer?)
    Murdock: Owen Wilson

  6. Leslie Neilson as Hannibal. he has the voice, the sense of humor, and he looks close george peppard. Ving Rames would make the perfect B.A. Tom Welling as face, and Jim Carrey as Murdock.

  8. Bruce Willis as Hannibal
    David Duchovny as Face
    Drew Barrymore as Amy Allen
    Ben Stiller as Murdock
    LL Cool J as BA

  9. hannibal = tommy lee jones
    face = val kilmer
    murdock = jim carrey
    ba baracus = either mr-t himself or the big guy from the green mile

  10. THIS WOULD BE THE ULTIMATE A-TEAM:
    HANNIBAL: MEL GIBSON
    BA: MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN
    FACE: GEORGE CLOONY
    MAD MURDOCK: JIM CARREY

    DOES ANYONE AGREE??

  11. MR T IS still alive SUCKA!

    Murdock = Owen Wilson
    Face = Rob Lowe
    Hannibal = Dennis Farina
    BA = Mr T or Micheal Clark Duncan ( if he can say Sucka right.)
    THE BAD GUY- Cristopher Walken (duh) OR Bruce Campbell ( I miss that wierdo )
    BTW- Anyone got blueprints for the Van or front,side,top pics for a 3d model??
    plz

  14. Ving Rhames is the perfect BA Barracus – no others need apply.

    Johnny Knoxville could play Murdoch if it’s a lower budget. However Jim Carrey is perfect for the role of Howling Mad Murdoch.

    Just about anybody could play Tempelton "Face Man" Peck, though I think Gary Sinese or Paul Bettany would be a solid choice for the cheaper budget with Clooney as the higher priced talent.

    People are casting Hannibal older simply because of his white hair in the original show. That being said, I think Tommy Lee Jones is a solid pick.

  15. Murdock – Adam Sandler
    Face- Tom Cruise
    B.A- Ice Cube
    Hannibal-Anthony Hopkins
    Amy-Catherine Z jones

  16. There’s only one B.A Replacement and thats got to be Ving Rhames. Check him in Striptease. The look, the Attitude!! If thet dont get BA right, I aint gunna watch it Foooo.

  18. Hannibal—Dennis Hopper

    Faceman—Johnny Depp

    "Howling Mad" Murdock—Jim Carrey

    B.A. Baracus—Ice Cube

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