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Liam Neeson Might Contend for an Oscar in ‘The Grey’

Liam Neeson found renewed fame with the sleeper hit Taken back in 2008 and since then has almost become a staple of the action genre. He’d almost abandoned prestige projects entirely, but an upcoming role might bridge the gap between his previous critical acclaim and high-octane action flicks.

Open Road will release Joe Carnahan’s (The A-Team) new film The Grey, which stars Neeson, on Jan. 27. Described as “a killer wolf pack thriller,” Neeson plays a man helping his fellow oil drillers overcome the Alaskan wilderness and the dangers it brings, one of which is a group of wolves.

An early-year release is hardly ever a great sign for a film’s quality, but Deadline Hollywood relays that “Grey” might have a two-theater release before the end of the year to qualify it for awards season. In fact, that was part of the concern when the film was being auctioned off earlier this year.

Although this certainly doesn’t scream “Oscar” like Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, War Horse, and other seemingly typical awards bait, the premise (and this buzz for Neeson) is definitely promising. Neeson never disappoints, even when the films do. It might not be the titular role in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming biopic Lincoln (which ended up going to the incomparable Daniel Day-Lewis), but it’s terrific to hear that he might be back in the awards fray once again.

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