Washington and Pine’s Unstoppable has Been … Stopped

Looks like Chris Pine’s sophomore effort, the action-thriller “Unstoppable” has been put on momentary hold thanks to worries by movie studio FOX about the film’s budget. And of course it probably doesn’t help convince the studio to shell out the bucks considering the recent box office performances of the movie’s leading man and director. “Unstoppable” is yet another train-set action movie set to star Denzel Washington (who cleans up with $20 million up front for each movie) and directed by Tony Scott after the duo have just delivered a less than spectacular remake of “The Taking of Pelham 123″, which at this point will need a miracle to break even at the box office.

THR writes that FOX is not entirely sure it wants to front the budget for what Scott says he needs to make the movie, resulting in delays getting the movie into production. (The film is currently in pre-production) Other issues leaning towards the film being put on indefinite hold is that all three talents on the movie — Washington, Chris Pine, and Scott — have yet to dot the “i’s” and cross the “t’s” on their contracts.

The film, which could still go forward if FOX decides it wants to risk it (or Washington goes easy on his salary, which is unlikely, it’s not like this is some art movie he’d be willing to make sacrifices for, after all), would have started Denzel Washington as an experienced train engineer who is being put out to pasture via forced retirement and replaced with a younger engineer to be played by Chris Pine. The duo must put their issues on the back burner when a runaway train carrying dangerous loads threatens to wipe out a city. And you thought YOUR job sucked.

Below: Tony Scott and Denzel Washington on set. One assumes they’re talking about yet another train movie.