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Chris Pratt Celebrates 15 Years of Wanted By Remembering How James McAvoy Hit Him in the Face With a Keyboard
Long before Star-Lord and Owen Grady, there was Barry.
Nearly a decade before Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World launched him into the rarified echelons of superstardom, a little-known actor by the name of Chris Pratt enjoyed smaller supporting roles in big-budget films like Timur Bekmambetov's Universal flick Wanted.
The incredibly loose adaptation of Mark Millar and J.G. Jones' graphic novel of the same name stars James McAvoy (X-Men: First Class, Split) as Wesley Gibson, a nebbishy New Yorker who can't catch a break in his crummy life.
RELATED: 'Mario' and 'Guardians' star Chris Pratt almost gave up on Marvel after bad auditions
No one respects him, not even his supposed best friend and sleazy co-worker, Barry (Pratt), who shacks up with Wesley's girlfriend (Kristen Hager) on a regular basis. Once Mr. Gibson is offered a spot in a secret society of deadly assassins known as the Fraternity, he finally breaks free of his tedious lifestyle and strikes back at those who have taken advantage of him for way too long.
Before quitting his job for good, he knocks Barry senseless with a computer keyboard. Several keys — and one of Barry's teeth — are knocked loose, spelling out the words "F*** YOU" in midair. It's a pretty badass moment that encapsulates the stylized violence and action of the entire movie.
With the film celebrating its 15th anniversary today, Pratt looked back on the memorable sequence, writing: "I’ll never forget the moment James McAvoy slapped the sh** outta me… my teeth have never been the same ever since." He went on to voice his hope of shooting another project with Bekmambetov "soon."
During an interview with SYFY WIRE in 2018, Bekmambetov stated his desire to helm a Wanted sequel in the format of "Screenlife" efforts like Unfriended and Searching.
"The Fraternity now, if it exist[ed] today, I’m sure would be in [the] digital space," he said. "They can get messages, the names from some hackers ... they will use blockchain to set up the assassinations. We live in a different world now. In [the years since] 2008, I am sure our world is not about guns or explosive materials anymore. It’s about the information, it’s about the big data, blockchain, dark web, cryptocurrency. It’s where we live now."
Wanted is now available to purchase from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Looking for more Pratt goodness? Jurassic World and all seven seasons of Parks and Recreation are now streaming on Peacock. You can also catch him as the voice of Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Movie — now available on Digital, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD with a plethora of bonus features.
