Liam Neeson is back behind the wheel and on the run. The Mongoose opens in US cinemas on 30 October through Samuel Goldwyn Films, turning a fugitive’s getaway into a televised spectacle.
Neeson plays Ryan ‘Fang’ Flanagan, a war hero accused of a crime he did not commit. Rather than surrender, he draws police into a televised cross-country car chase, helped by former military colleagues and a public increasingly invested in his escape. Staying out of custody is one thing; doing it with an audience is another.
Marisa Tomei, Ving Rhames and Michael Chiklis join the cast. Director Mark Vanselow comes to the job after years working alongside Neeson as a stunt double and second-unit director, including work on Taken. Thompson Evans wrote the screenplay. “I totally trusted Mark,” Neeson told Men’s Journal about their collaboration.
The thriller was filmed in Melbourne and regional locations in the Australian state of Victoria, familiar territory for its star. The Mongoose followed Blacklight and Ice Road: Vengeance as his third production in the state. VicScreen’s annual report lists locations including Castlemaine, Little River and Bacchus Marsh, with the production based at the Melbourne Screen Hub in Footscray.
The chase unfolds in a brisk 96-minute action thriller.
