CRANK sequel is pre-strike

Crank 2 will begin filming once Brian Taylor and Mark Neveldine have completed the Gerard Butler movie Game.

By Matt Holmes /

Trade confirmation has come through that Jason Statham will star in Crank 2: High Voltage, which will be pre-strike for Lakeshore Entertainment and Lionsgate. Statham will of course be reprising his hitman role of Chev Chelios from the original movie last year which grossed $44 million worldwide, and made a cool $30 million profit. The sequel will follow a Chinese mobster who has stolen Chev's nearly indestructible heart and replaced it with a battery-powered ticker that requires regular jolts of electricity to keep working.

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No word yet if Amy Smart will be returning for the movie. The movie will begin filming once directing duo Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor have completed Game, the high-concept futuristic thriller (it's about an online multiplayer game come to life, or something) starring Gerard Butler in the lead role opposite villain Michael C. Hall. Other actors in the movie are Amber Valletta, Logan Lerman, Alison Lohman, John Leguizamo, Johnny Whitworth, Zoe Bell and Kyra Sedgwick. Game begins in a few weeks time in Albuquerque. I hated Crank but I thought these guys did a decent job direction wise and they are on my radar because they have the rights to the classic DC comics Western hero Jonah Hex. Crank was their first movie, so let's hope Game and Crank 2 will be a nice build up to Hex. Though I do like the sound of Game. Ya see, ya don't need to remake Kurt Russell, to have a Kurt Russell role Mr. Butler!