A writer on “Godzilla” and “The Expendables,” Mr. Callaham knew action, but he had more than just another Van Damme martial arts flick in mind. He envisioned something high-concept, like the critically acclaimed 2008 Belgian film “JCVD,” which starred Mr. Van Damme playing himself as an unwitting participant in a post office robbery. “I told them I’d like to play with the notions of who he is and what he represents in the culture,” Mr. Callaham said. And they said, great, we don’t know what you’re talking about.”But Mr. Callaham was very apprehensive about how Mr. Van Damme would react when he pitched the show. Without Mr. Callaham’s knowledge, the folks at Scott Free sent the treatment to Mr. Van Damme, who loved it.

Source: New York Times November 30, 2017 09:56 UTC