David Harbour Eyed for Kane & Lynch Film, Linked to Stranger Things, Thunderbolts

A high-definition adaptation of the original Kane & Lynch game, crafted by the acclaimed IO Interactive studio behind the Hitman series and launched in 2007, remained an elusive dream for years, with numerous Hollywood figures linked to the project at different stages.

In a recent social media post, Nobody 2 director Timo Tjahjanto disclosed that he had penned a treatment for the Kane & Lynch film, envisioning David Harbour—the beloved Jim Hopper from Stranger Things or the Red Guardian/Florence Pugh's father in Thunderbolts/New Avengers—as one of the leads. "I never saw a script, but a couple of years ago when that property was still somewhat trendy, I wrote a short treatment with James Badge Dale and David Harbour in mind," Tjahjanto shared. "It never went anywhere."

Perhaps finding comfort in the fact that his treatment—a preliminary document designed for studios to develop a full script—was merely one among many abandoned concepts for the Kane & Lynch movie, Tjahjanto can take pride in knowing his contribution was part of an ongoing saga.

For years, Bruce Willis and Jamie Foxx were attached to the project, though both eventually distanced themselves due to the screenplay's numerous revisions. Later, rumors surfaced about a new iteration featuring Gerard Butler and Vin Diesel in the titular roles, yet this idea never materialized either.

The Kane & Lynch movie remains unproduced. Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images.

Ultimately, following the lukewarm reception of the sequel Kane & Lynch: Dog Days in 2010, IO Interactive redirected its focus exclusively to the Hitman franchise, leaving the future of Kane & Lynch uncertain.