Josh Olson to Revive Spirit of Dirty Harry with ‘One Shot’

Posted by Mister Hand (misterhand@filmschoolrejects.com) on September 30, 2008

Josh Olson, the Oscar-nominated writer of A History of Violence, is set to pen the screen version of One Shot, a suspense novel about an ex-army policeman. Josh has indicated, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter, that he wants to bring back the “tough, smart, action-oriented” spirit of the Dirty Harry movies.

I had just finished watching the first two Dirty Harry movies on Blu-ray,” Olson said. “And I thought, ‘No one’s making movies like that anymore.’”

I was on the cusp of my teenage years when my father sat me down and had me watch the first Dirty Harry movie. I was totally enthralled.  There are certain actors who command the screen in a way that no one coming after can possibly equal. Eastwood is one of those actors, along with Harrison Ford, Gary Cooper, and Spencer Tracy. These are the guys who defined masculinity for whole generations, and while they are often copied, they will never be surpassed.

Having said that, I think the reason you don’t see Hollywood making Dirty Harry-type films anymore is because Clint Eastwood isn’t making them. So if the “badass with a gun” genre is going to be revived, I believe the key to success is finding the actor who can take it on and own it. So far, for this generation of actors, I’m at a loss to suggest who that actor might be. Any suggestions?

Do you think you know who could fill the tough-guy-Dirty-Harry-type shoes for Hollywood? Well, do ya, punk?

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