Fox Searches the ‘Homeland’ for New Hitman Lead

Late last year, we were all saddened by the sudden loss of actor Paul Walker. Still, as once was said somewhere by someone before it was appropriated beyond the realms of being a cliche, the show must go on. As such, 20th Century Fox has found its replacement for the deceased Walker in its upcoming 'Hitman' sequel.

Back in February 2013, Fox announced Paul Walker would take on the role of the lethal Agent 47 in its adaptation of Square Enix's Hitman video game. Walker would have replaced Timothy Olyphant, who starred in the first entry back in 2007. Now, Fox has turned its attention to 'Homeland' star Rupert Friend, according to Variety. The future of the film was actually in jeopardy for a moment without Walker, as his commitment to the adaptation was a major reason why Fox agreed to take another stab.

There's very little information about the sequel, dubbed 'Agent 47,' available just now, but we do know Aleksander Bach will direct, and the script will be handled by Skip Woods ('Hitman,' 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine') and Michael Finch ('Predators'). While those credentials don't exactly have us giddy with excitement, the game franchise is ripe with opportunity for an amazing stealth action film. There were moments in the original that made it tolerable, but even Raylan Givens himself couldn't keep us interested for more than a few minutes at a time.

No word yet on when to expect this sequel, but with a director, writers and a new star all lined up, production should get under way relatively soon.