A few months ago when it was announced that USA Network had picked up Shooter, the television adaption of Stephen Hunter’s novel Point of Impact, I was intrigued. The problem, for me, was that I never really saw Ryan Phillippe, who they cast as Hunter’s protagonist, ex-marine sniper Bob Lee Swagger, as a good fit for the role.
If the newly released trailer from USA Network is any indication, well, let’s just say my concerns have intensified.
Here’s the thing, Shooter, the television show, isn’t just based on Hunter’s novel. It’s also based on the 2007 feature film starring Mark Wahlberg with the same name. That’s odd, in my opinion, because Hunter has written nine books in the Bob Swagger series, so it would make sense to see the character expanded upon in the television show.
But no, instead we’re getting what is essentially a season-long version of Wahlberg’s film with a lesser known actor who doesn’t seem all that believable as the main character.
It’s worth noting, too, that Wahlberg’s Paramount-produced film doesn’t follow the book that it’s based on all that closely. So It’ll be interesting to see whether the TV show stays truer to the book, the movie, or offers a different take on the character and story entirely.
Shooter is set to premiere on USA Network on Tuesday, July 19 at 10pm and stars Ryan Phillippe (The Lincoln Lawyer, Omar Epps (House), and Cynthia Addai-Robinson (Arrow).
Check out the trailer below and let me know what you think!