No one could have predicted back in 2008 that an action movie starring Liam Neeson would make over $200 million worldwide and spawn a sequel that would earn almost twice that. Five years later, Liam Neeson continues to be a hot commodity in Hollywood and the Taken series is about to become a trilogy. This was sort of a foregone conclusion after the second movie did so well at the box office. (Screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen essentially confirmed that another installment was in the works just days after Taken 2 hit theatres.) However, Liam Neeson initially seemed resistant to the idea of a third film and wasn’t contractually obligated to return. In the end, it appears that the money was simply too good to pass up.

According to Deadline, Liam Neeson has officially signed on to star in Taken 3 for a reported $20 million, the biggest paycheck he has ever received. (He supposedly made $15 million for Taken 2.) The movie is expected to go into production in February and no director has been named as of yet, but Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen are currently working on the script. Maggie Grace and Famke Janssen are also expected to return although deals are not yet in place.

It’s unclear where they will decide to take the story this time around, but Kamen previously hinted that they might stray from the title’s built-in premise this time around. Neeson also agreed that having someone get kidnapped again would strain the limits of plausibility just a little too far. Still, it will be interesting to see if the dismal reviews for Taken 2 will have a negative effect on the third film. Are you interested in seeing another Taken movie or is this just a bad idea?