By Jake Coyle, Film Writer
TORONTO (AP) --Special set of skills or not, Liam Neeson says he's finished making thrillers.
In an interview, Neeson said that he plans to stop even though it's hard to turn down the lucrative offers he gets thanks to his box-office success in the three "Taken" films, as well as other thrillers. Neeson believes he's simply getting too old to be an action hero.
"The thrillers, that was all a pure accident," said Neeson. "They're still throwing serious money at me to do that stuff. I'm like, 'Guy's I'm sixty-f—ing-five.' Audiences are eventually going to go, 'Come on.'"
Neeson still has two upcoming revenge thrillers he's already shot: "Hard Powder," in which he plays a snowplow driver who faces off with drug dealers, and "The Commuter," with director Jaume Collet-Serra, who also directed Neeson in "Unknown," ''Non-Stop" and "Run All Night."
But, Neeson said, those will be his last.
"I've shot one that's going to come out in January sometime. There might be another. That's it," said Neeson. "But not 'Taken,' none of that franchise stuff."
Instead, Neeson has turned back to dramatic work. His Watergate drama "Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House" was to premiere Monday evening at the Toronto International Film Festival. In it, he plays the high-ranking FBI official who was the Washington Post's "Deep Throat" source in the scandal.
Neeson has also lined up to co-star in "Widows," by "Twelve Years a Slave" director Steve McQueen. In December, he starred in Martin Scorsese's spiritual epic "Silence."
Neeson was always surprised by the unlikely turn his career took beginning with 2009's "Taken." He thought the film, he once said, would go straight to video. The three "Taken" films have grossed $929.5 million worldwide.
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTEยฎ,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
โSMPTEโs membership has spoken,โ said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann DโAmato. โThese officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!โ
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More