Liam Neeson Sets Sights on Major Reunion After $20M Action Thriller Flop

Liam Neeson had solidified his status as an A-list actor decades before he leaned heavily into action. His critically acclaimed performance in Schindler’s List led to career-defining roles in Michael Collins, Les Misérables, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Star Wars. He hasn’t abandoned drama after becoming an action star in Taken, but high-octane thrillers have dominated his recent credits. His latest was even directed by his longtime stunt double, marking a creative partnership that will continue well into the future.

The Mongoose is Mark Vanselow’s feature directorial debut, but he is hardly a newcomer. He has served as a stunt performer and coordinator on more than 50 films, including Seraphim Falls, The A-Team, The Grey, and In the Land of Saints and Sinners — all of which starred Liam Neeson. The duo has collaborated on roughly 30 projects to date, including last year’s The Naked Gun. Speaking with ScreenRant, they even teased that they already have plenty more in the works.

“[We have] A lot of projects in various stages of development,” Vanselow said, adding that he’s open to directing films in other genres. Neeson chimed in, confirming that they’re actively looking for something else to do together, which is promising considering how well they gelled on The Mongoose, despite the immediate challenges facing the film’s release.

The Mongoose stars Neeson as Ryan “Fang” Flanagan, a decorated war veteran who’s forced to go on the run after accidentally killing his ex-wife’s abusive boyfriend. The role falls into the actor’s wheelhouse, but he flips the script here with a high-speed chase thriller featuring him as a fugitive driving a Shelby Mustang; it is a sleek departure from his gripping turns in the two Ice Road movies, the Taken trilogy, and 2000’s Gun Shy — the film that sparked his 26-year partnership with Vanselow.

“Liam was really instrumental in fighting for me every step of the way,” Vanselow said in an interview with IndieWire. “As I transitioned from stunt performer to other jobs, he almost saw those attributes in me before I did.” Given their long-standing working relationship, their bond is further cemented in The Mongoose, despite its disappointing turnout at the box office. The film had a production budget of $20 million but has so far grossed only $695,000 after one week; its prospects are not looking bright, marred by mixed-to-negative critical reception and a reported online leak two months before it premiered in US theaters.

The Mongoose stands as one of Neeson’s lowest-rated movies on Rotten Tomatoes with a 38% on the Tomatometer, in contrast to a more favorable 60% audience consensus. It’s unclear whether the latter would bolster the film’s box office performance, especially now that it’s streaming on Prime Video, where it shot to the top of the international streamer charts.

Release Date

October 30, 2026

Runtime

98 Minutes

Director

Mark Vanselow