Liam Neeson’s longtime stuntman makes directorial debut with The Mongoose
Developed over time first seen 4 weeks ago
Liam Neeson's longtime stuntman, Mark Vanselow, has stepped behind the camera for the first time to direct the actor's latest action thriller, The Mongoose, drawing on more than two decades of stunt work across films including Taken, The Commuter and Cold Pursuit. Speaking to Polygon for its Fall Preview, Vanselow described the move as a natural progression from stunt coordinator to director, made possible with backing from Neeson and producers Bart Rosenblatt and Al Corley. The film matters as a rare case of a career stuntman shaping both the action and emotional tone of a major star vehicle, blending practical, performer-led stunts with a more serious undercurrent about how America treats its veterans.
In the film, Neeson plays Ryan "Fang" Flanagan, an ex-soldier who triggers a cross-country chase after stealing a high-tech, AI-equipped car, pursued by police, helicopters and a vengeful Texas lawman played by Michael Chiklis, while becoming an unlikely folk hero to sympathetic veterans along the way. Vanselow said he and Neeson again emphasised close-combat sequences the actor could largely perform himself, though he stepped back this time to let others direct some scenes he previously handled personally, working alongside stunt coordinator Chris Weir on the film's car-based set-pieces. He said the story's deeper themes around veterans' trauma were central to giving the otherwise conventional chase movie added depth. The Mongoose is released in cinemas on 30 October.
- Neeson's stuntman Mark Vanselow directs him for the first time in The Mongoose
- Film follows a veteran's cross-country chase after stealing an AI-equipped car
- Vanselow says the story explores how America treats its veterans; out 30 October
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Mark Vanselow has spent more than 20 years as Liam Neeson's stunt double, working on films including the Taken series, Cold Pursuit and The Commuter. He is now directing for the first time, with The Mongoose, backed by producers Bart Rosenblatt and Al Corley and by Neeson himself.
The film stars Neeson as a veteran named Ryan "Fang" Flanagan, who unwittingly steals a car fitted with an AI assistant and finds himself pursued across the country by police and a Texan lawman played by Michael Chiklis. Alongside the chase and stunt sequences, the story also explores how veterans are treated in America.
The pairing is notable because a director with a stunt background, rather than a purely creative one, is taking charge of an action film, potentially shaping how the physical sequences are shot and performed. The Mongoose is due in cinemas on 30 October.
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Originally published by Polygon as “Liam Neeson’s Non-Stop Action Thriller Has One Crazy Twist — It’s Director”.