By Erin Free
WHAT’S IT ABOUT? The Nick Stone series of novels are the principal fictional works of former SAS commando-turned-author, Andy McNab (not his real name), who was famously captured, and then endured weeks of torture in war-torn Iraq, which he stunningly essayed in his superb autobiographical tome, Bravo Two Zero, which was filmed for television in 1999 with Sean Bean in the lead role. Throughout his incredible career, McNab worked on both covert and overt operations including counter terrorism and drug operations in The Middle East, The Far East, South and Central America, and Northern Ireland. Still wanted by various terrorist groups, McNab avoids public appearances, and has his face shadowed out for TV interviews. As well as several follow-up autobiographical works, including the riveting Immediate Action, McNab has also established himself as a prolific and popular fiction author. His most enduring creation is unquestionably no-holds-barred tough guy, Nick Stone, an ex-SAS soldier working on “deniable operations” for British intelligence. The series – which is now up to a mammoth seventeen entries – draws extensively on McNab’s experiences and knowledge of Special Forces soldiering. Dabbling in world politics, and driven by intense thrills and imaginatively framed action sequences, the Nick Stone novels are classic good-time potboilers, right up there with the literary belters of Alistair MacLean and Frederick Forsyth.
WHY WOULD IT MAKE A GOOD MOVIE? Nick Stone is a truly classic action hero: a paid mercenary willing to work in even the most dangerous situations who often finds himself hip-deep in assassination, political intrigue, horrific human rights violations, white slavery, drug dealers, rogue operatives, snaky superiors, and various nemeses of equal skill and ferocity. Like all good, stoic action heroes, however, Nick Stone – the result of an abusive and self-destructive childhood – is not devoid of sensitivity, and while his moral compass is not exactly firmly set, it’s definitely in solid working order. Constantly thrown into exciting and life threatening situations, Nick Stone would make for a great cinematic figure (there have been rumours of a TV series produced by The Weinstein Company, but it looks like that project has stalled), and producers could pick any of McNab’s novels to kick off a possible franchise with.
WHO SHOULD DIRECT IT? The no-nonsense Nick Stone is a true British hard-man of the first order, so a film featuring him should be a truly British exercise. After tough, thrilling UK flicks like Dog Soldiers, The Descent, Doomsday, and Centurion (not to mention a few episodes of Game Of Thrones), Newcastle-upon-Tyne-born writer/director, Neil Marshall – who has a tight grip on both action filmmaking and character dynamics – would be the perfect man to script and commandeer the violence and chaos that is the world of Nick Stone.
WHO SHOULD BE IN IT? No question: British tough guy, Jason Statham (The Expendables, The Transporter), was born to play Nick Stone, while Maisie Williams (Arya Stark from Game Of Thrones) would be perfect as his wayward, deeply troubled adoptive daughter, Kelly, the sole survivor of her family’s massacre. Depending on which books were adapted, there is a whole host of characters to choose from, but another important secondary player comes in the form of Sarah, a colleague and occasional love interest of Nick Stone’s, which would be a great role for Boardwalk Empire’s Kelly Macdonald.
No way. Sean Bean is nick stone.
Tom hardy would be better, nick stone character has hair! And he always talks about how greasy it has got over a few days ( on mission)
Who cares who’s in it just do it !
Toby Kebbel would be more of a grey man