With filming scheduled to start less than a month away, “London Has Fallen” scrambled on the selection of director. Swedish helmer Babak Najafi has reportedly stepped in the role to replace Fredrick Bond who left his post earlier this month due to creative differences.
According to Deadline, Najafi is in discussions to direct the sequel to “Olympus Has Fallen”. His name along with Wayne Blair and Gary Fleder showed up on the list but he came as the frontrunner. Najafi is best known as the helmer of “Easy Money: Hard to Kill” a.k.a. the sequel to “Snabba Cash”.
Bond’s exit, despite being sudden, was reportedly amicable. Several up and coming directors were reportedly flying to meet star Gerard Butler. Per THR, Millennium Films and Butler had to rush the director selection to the point that he planned to leave the project because he did not like the directing prospects.
But the job is Nahaji’s if his reps could make the deal. He would start the principal photography in London for four weeks with Morgan Freeman, Aaron Eckhart, Angela Bassett and Melissa Leo. The production will then continue in February with Butler who is currently occupied with the filming of “Geostorm”.
“London Has Fallen”, which Deadline reported is being re-titled “London Is Falling”, will head to U.S. theaters on October 2, 2015. The story will kick off during the funeral of Britain’s prime minister who dies “under mysterious circumstances.”