USA Network's new TV series Shooter premieres on Tuesday night and follows former Marine sniper Bob Lee Swagger (Ryan Phillippe) as he tries to clear his name after being framed for murder. The show is based on the 2007 movie of the same name starring Mark Wahlberg, which was based on Stephen Hunter's novel Point of Impact. When you compare the Shooter TV series to the movie, they're pretty similar — at least it seems to start out that way. That shouldn't be a big surprise though, since both the TV series and movie are based on the same novel and Wahlberg is involved in the TV series as an executive producer, according to Deadline.
Wahlberg played Swagger in the 2007 movie, which also starred Danny Glover, Michael Peña, and Kate Mara. In the new TV series, Phillippe takes over the role alongside Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Omar Epps, and Eddie McClintock. Shooter was originally set to debut on TV in the summer, but the premiere was postponed due to several mass shootings that had occurred at the time, according to TV Guide. The 2007 movie was more than just about shooting sniper rifles — it's a thriller in which Wahlberg's Swagger goes on the run and uses his resourcefulness to clear his name.
See how else the Shooter TV series and the movie compare below.
Bob Lee Swagger
In The 2007 Movie: As I said above, Wahlberg played Swagger, an expert ex-sniper who prefers to live in isolation.
In The 2016 TV Show: Phillipe plays the former sniper and he told the New York Times that Wahlberg hand-picked him for the role. "The first thing Mark Wahlberg said to me was, 'I love this character, and you’re my first choice,'" Phillipe told the newspaper. "And I found that so flattering. And from there his attitude was one of 'make it your own.' Then I got really into the idea of the action of it."
The Plot
In The 2007 Movie: Swagger lives off the grid until he gets recruited to help thwart an assassinate the president by Colonel Isaac Johnson (Glover). But it's a total set up — another political figure gets killed and Swagger becomes the prime suspect. The former military sniper now needs to work to clear his name and expose the real murderer.
In The 2016 TV Show: The series trailer shows the new Swagger talks about a presidential assassination attempt as well. The New York Post reported that Johnson (Epps) is his former commanding officer and recruits Swagger to thwart a presidential assassination attempt. According to a review in Variety, though, Phillippe's Swagger is framed for "crimes he didn't commit" — that's crimes, plural — and he must try to clear his name as well.
The FBI Secret Agent
In The 2007 Movie: Swagger works with rookie secret agent Nick Memphis (Peña) while he's on the run.
In The 2016 TV Show: Swagger works with secret agent Nadine Memphis (Addai-Robinson), according to Variety — that's right, this time around the FBI operative is a woman.
The Love Interest
In The 2007 Movie: Swagger falls in love with Sarah Fenn (Mara), the widow of his late friend from the Marines.
In The 2016 TV Show: Swagger is married to a woman named Julie (Shantel VanSanten), with whom he has a young daughter, as reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. According to Variety, she will work to help him clear his name after he's framed.
The Antagonists
In The 2007 Movie: Corrupt Senator Charles Meachum (Ned Beatty) and Johnson work against Swagger in favor of corporate oil interests.
In The 2016 TV Show: It's not entirely clear, but Variety mentions Johnson (Epps) is once again involved in the assassination attempt and there's also a "plot about Russian interference in world affairs." According to an interview with DSTV, Sean Cameron Michael will play Russian diplomat Grigory Krukov in the series, but no word if he is the show's antagonist or if he is an ally to Swagger.
“First it seems like Isaac’s the bad guy, but then they have to come together in order to unravel certain things that happen within the season," Epps told the NY Post. "It’s a real dicey cat-and-mouse game and that’s the fun part of it.”
How Long Is Swagger On The Run?
In The 2007 Movie: Swagger is able to defeat the men who worked against him within the time-length of the feature film.
In The 2016 TV Show: It's around for a 10-episode season, according to The Star-Telegram, so it sounds like Swagger will have to be even more resourceful as he works to prove his innocence.
As you can see, the 2007 movie shares many similiarities — and has gotten a few updates — for its TV version on S
Images: Dean Buscher (6)/USA Network
