Liam Neeson Snappin’ Necks and Cashin’ Checks in First ‘Taken 2′ Pics

Liam Neeson has a very particular set of skills. Skills that have transformed this actor, once known for his dramatic, Oscar-nominated work, into an action star. Just in the past few years he’s starred in ‘Taken,’ ‘Clash of the Titans,’ ‘A-Team,’ ‘Unknown’ and this Friday’s ‘Battleship.’ And now he’s got his own action franchise as ‘Taken 2‘ is set to hit theaters later this year. Let’s take a first look…

Neeson, who’s out promoting ‘Battleship,’ spoke about ‘Taken 2′ with Entertainment Weekly and said that the action in this film takes place about a year after the events in the original film.  Of the plot of the film, Neeson describes it thusly:

I’ve taken a job over in Istanbul looking after a sheik who is there, and afterward I discover that my wife’s going through a very bad time with her new husband. So I suggest she and my daughter come over for a few days and hang out with me in this amazing city. And then…all this s—t happens, of course.

“All this s–t happens.” Exactly.

‘Taken’ was a surprisingly effective thriller, one that surprised even the people at Fox who repeatedly delayed the film, dumped it in January and then watched it make over $100 million at the box-office. Not exactly sure it needed a sequel but when an action film makes over $100 million, you can bet there’s going to be a sequel whether one is needed or not.

As for becoming an action superstar this late in his career, Neeson cracks, “It’s funny to be doing this at 60. I just hope my knees hold up.”

Check out the first stills from ‘Taken 2′ below.