If there’s an actor with buckets of charisma, a string of roles in high profile movies yet with a sense that he hasn’t received the recognition he deserves, it’s Andy Garcia. Whether playing an idealistic gangbuster in THE UNTOUCHABLES or a malevolent casino boss in the OCEAN’S ELEVEN franchise, he can turn his hand to a variety of roles. Now Garcia enters the expanding world of Mattel movies with MAX STEEL, an adaptation from Dolphin Films based on the popular toy line.
The story has shifted a bit over various comic book and animated incarnations, but the basic premise sees teenage boy Max use “turbo-energy powers” to transform himself into an armoured superdude. The most recent TV series saw him achieve this by merging with an alien named Steel – a chap older in years such as myself will immediately think of the cult show Sapphire & Steel, though whether that was an influence is a longer shot than John Cleese’s trouser leg.
Garcia will be playing Dr Miles Edwards, a mysterious but pivotal element according to Bill O’Dowd, CEO of Dolphin:
“We’re ecstatic to be working with legendary actor Andy Garcia… Edwards is a very complicated character, and he is central to the entire mythology of Max Steel. The role requires a truly talented actor, and there is no one more qualified than Andy to tackle it.”
High praise indeed for a man who held his own against Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson and Sir Derek Jacobi in Dead Again. The title role of Max will be played by relative unknown Ben Winchell (a replacement for TWILIGHT’s Taylor Lautner). Though it’s unclear if Garcia will be a hero or villain, he can easily handle either, and a part where he was switching between the two could give the adults something to watch while the kids enjoyed all the jumping around and hollering.
MAX STEEL has just commenced shooting. It is written by Christopher Yost (The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes) and directed by Stewart Hendler (SORORITY ROW).
Sources: Deadline and ComicBook.com
