With adaptations of old TV shows, the trend has typically been to have an actor from that old show make a cameo. And the A-Team adaptation is no different.

Today it was confirmed that the original Howling Mad Murdock Dwight Schultz would be making a cameo in the upcoming film.

Worst Previews says:

One question that keeps coming up is whether he will have a cameo in the upcoming “A-Team” movie. The people running the site said the following: “We are pleased to inform you all that Dwight has actually already been working in Vancouver, where he has played a cameo role in The A-Team movie.”

Schultz has also met Sharlto Copely (District 9), who will play Murdock in the movie, calling the South African actor “brilliant beyond words,” adding that if he is as great as he was during the screen test, “Murdock will be better than ever.”

I like that he stands by the casting choice for his big screen replacement. If anyone knows how the character should have been played it would be Schultz.

Which brings to question if any of the other cast will be making cameo appearances. I could see Dirk Benedict, but with Rampage chanelling Mr.T in BA Baracus, I don’t know that they could bring him in unless he dropped the Mr.T personality and wore a wig or something.

Entertainment Tonight aired a special on set peek at The A-Team and we get a look at Bradley Cooper, Jessica Beil and of course Rampage Jackson.

Looks like Rampage is channelling Mr.T here, which is all I can hope for. With any luck the film will be a lot of fun, they will build a tank out of a Volvo and beat down badguys with poor aim.

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Rampage Jackson might physically look the part of B.A. Baracus for the upcoming A-Team movie, but I am still hesitant that they cast a non-actor in his role. But the big question was whether Rampage would be channelling Mr.T (who’s own personality isn’t far from BA) or would he make the role his own.

Well now we get a picture of Mr Jackson in full on BA regalia, suggesting he is playing Mr.T instead of just a more relevant badass black man. I was kind of hoping to see something less characturized.

Now I just wonder if he is going to wear the obscene amount of gold chains and spout catch phrases suggesting he would have a degree of pity for fools or that rolling would be the preferred method of mobility for heads.

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The first chance we get to look at the A-Team renews some confidence in the adaptation. Each of the actors looks well in their particular roles, which I have to say I like so far.

So this image is a first peek and I thought we could play a little game with it, and offer up quotes for the image.

Quinto Rampage Jackson: I just really want to share my feelings with you guys.
Liam Neeson: I have a special set of skills that make a plan come together.
Sharlto Copley: How did I get here?
Bradley Cooper: Did you guys see my friend? He is getting married tomorrow.

Your turn!

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I thought Shartlo Copley was already a done deal as Howling Mad Murdock in the upcoming A-Team, but they have yet to put pen to paper on that one, but we hear news that its as good as done. As well Jessica Biel may be signing on as an Army General and former girlfriend of Face.

Screen Crave says:

Copley and Biel are in final negotiations to join the film in their respective roles. If all goes well, Biel will play the former love of Faceman (Bradley Cooper), an Army general who is now pursuing the team. Once these two are officially on board the cast will be complete with Cooper, Liam Neeson as Hannibal, and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as B.A. Baracus.

As much as I am not opposed to having Jessica Biel in anything at all just for pure eyecandy, I don’t know that I like her as the pursuing General.

I can’t remember the guy’s name, but I always liked the gruff and angry General from the TV show that was always a step behind the A-Team stalking them from city to city. Now that’s going to be Biel? And she’s going to have been a former girlfriend of the Faceman? This doesn’t settle well with me. But at least we will get to see Biel in a form fitting military outfit.

Personally I wished they had gone with Matt Frewer, who is still popping up in stuff. He could easily make for a great Murdock!

They had better hurry their asses up since filming has already reportedly started in Vancouver.

What started out as a rumour on an MMA fan blog, has spiraled into some resemblance of fact as the coveted role of Sgt Bosco A Baracus for the new A-Team film adaptation has been handed to MMA meatball Rampage Jackson.

Collider shares:

According to The Vancouver Sun, MMA fighter Mr. Jackson (”Rampage” to his friends), met with producers to discuss the role on August 19th and then arrived in Vancouver last Friday to begin six weeks of filming.

I refused to believe this news as the full cast has yet to be chosen, and the site was reporting that he was already on set filming. Furthermore, the site was quoting that was also saying that because of this filming, he would be missing out on a December UFC card. 4 months of filming? Sounds off to me.

But this news is circulating the net like pictures of a pantyless Britney Spears. Could it be fact?

Could they have given an role to a non actor? I hope against hope that they haven’t.

Sure, Rampage looks the part. But so could Michael Clarke Duncan, or Tyrese Gibson. I know a lot of people will speculate that Mr T wasn’t exactly a master thespian either, but I was hoping that this adaptation would be more serious than the campy television series.

This dampens some of my hopes for the film but then I remember that Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper are attached.

Maybe this plan will come together.

While people were moaning about the impossible story that Megan Fox would be Catwoman, the very same rag that put out that story is now reporting that MMA fighter Quinton Rampage Jackson was signed on to play BA Baracus in The A-Team.

This is NOT TRUE.

Worst Previews shares:

One rumor that the paper spread is that UFC champ Quinton “Rampage” Jackson” has been cast as BA Baracus in the upcoming “A-Team” movie. The man is a beast and is no stranger to wearing chains around his neck. He seems like a good fit, but since The Sun started the rumor, this information had to be double checked.

MTV News got in touch with Jackson’s manager, who revealed that there is no truth to the rumor..

I know a lot of people get confused over here because some legitmate news sources come from the Canadian chain of newspapers called the Sun (Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver etc) but the Sun from the UK is widely accepted as a Tabloid. Not a news source.

And these last few days they have been sending up flares that shine the light of reality on just how little they care if a story makes sense or not.

Not saying that Rampage COUDLN’T get cast as BA, but once again the “news” they offer is quickly challenged and proven inaccurate.

Personally, I hope they approach A-Team with some maturity instead of just hiring some fluff non-actors to fill the roles of these TV stars. Just because Mr.T was a character personality more than an actor doesn’t mean they have to recruit some popular non-actor name for his role. Rampage physically fits the role, but I would prefer an actor who fits the physical side too.

A-Team is a great premise, and as a feature film could kick a variety of ass. I just hope they treat it with some respect and the film won’t be unintentional comedy.

Hire an actor.

Seems that when you wildly speculate on something based on half a statement, there is just a good chance that despite sounding half right, it also has the astounding possibility of being half wrong. A short while ago Bradley Cooper was announced as playing the smooth con Faceman in the big screen adaptation of the A-Team.

But that’s not what Cooper says.

Fused Film exposes another false rumor.

“A guy came up to me and asked about the character Faceman in “The A-Team.” I said ‘Oh, that’s out there already?’, but my point was that news about the film is out there. Literally that people knew about Carnahan and the remake, that’s it. I haven’t read a script or met Joe Carnahan.”

Seems the speculation on the casting announcement is based on half a statement and now we find out it is not true.

Like Hugh Grant says in Nine Months, “They tell you the condom is 97% effective but what they DONT say is that its 3% bloody ineffective!!!”

I don’t mind speculating or even chatting up the rumours. Many of them are based on a shred of truth and sometimes are true.

Hannibal likes it when a plan comes together, but this isn’t one of them.

Chris Pine is taking this whole “Boldly go” stuff right to the limit.

In an attempt to attach himself to more films than Matt Damon was ever rumoured to be considered for, Chris Pine is not happy setting on being Captain Kirk, Green Lantern, and My Little Pony for all I know and now he is in talks to star in the slowly crawling into existence A-Team movie.

ScreenRant says:

However, Pine has no desire to play Lt. Templeton “Faceman” Peck, the role that seems perfectly suited for the chiseled Pine. Instead Pine says that he’s campaigning to play the role of Capt. H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock otherwise known as the crazy dude on The A-Team.

I have to say that my first instinct was going to be Face. He has that charm and pretty looks that would be PERFECT for Face. But he wants to be Murdoch???

Honestly, if you have watched Sci-Fi’s (SyFy?) Eureka, you would see the original Murdoch channelled in Matt Frewer (Watchmen’s Molloch and Max Headroom). That’s the kind of guy I want to see as Howlin’ Mad Murdoch. Pine can play Face, I am good with that.

But for the love of Zod, we need to get someone like Michael Clarke Duncan or Tyrese Gibson to play B.A Baracus! Mr.T is about as intimidating as Corey Feldman on withdrawl from his estrogen pills.

The rumour that an A-Team movie would join the leagues of other 80s shows adapted to the big screen has finally come to pass.

Fox has given the green light and hired on some writers, directors and producers.

Latino Review says:

Studio has set Joe Carnahan to direct and Ridley Scott to produce, with Tony Scott exec producing through their Scott Free banner.

Also producing are Jules Daly and Stephen J. Cannell, the latter of whom created the original TV series.

Carnahan will team with Brian Bloom to polish a script by Skip Woods. The intention is to start production by June for a June 11, 2010, release.

Fox has struggled to find a way to exploit the branded TV show while avoiding the series’ campy tone

I think it would be a clear choice to have someone like Michael Clarke Duncan to take on the role of B.A. Barakus, and since they are avoiding the cheese he wont have to step on B.A’s trademarked “Fool” but still have that in-your-face attitude (and fear of flying)

I think the A-Team has some great potential to be translated to a more realistic team of characters while still being fun and perhaps even landing a bullet. For such an elite team of special forces commandos, they sure managed to miss a lot when shooting.

My Dream A-Team would be as follows.

Hannibal - Mel Gibson or Bruce Willis. They can both swagger and charm while still exuding leadership.
Face - Brad Pitt. Who else can play the conman, ladies man and look sharp in a suit.
Murdock - Matt Frewer. Still alive and well on Eureka. He can be crazy and zany and Murdock always had one schtick or another in every episode. For the movie I vote for the talking tennis ball.
BA Barakus - Michael Duncan Clarke.

So do you think this movie will be better played straight avoiding that “it was only funny in the 80s” cheese factor? And who do you think could play the A-Team?