Nick Cassavetes Replaces Liam Neeson In Reshot 'Hangover 2' Cameo

So far what we’ve seen from the highly anticipated sequel “The Hangover Part II” hasn’t impressed in the slightest. The first trailer feels like a warmed-over rehash of everything from the first film but simply transplanted to Thailand. But if anything, Todd Phillips is determined to get the small role of the Bangkok tattoo artist right. First he had planned for Mel Gibson to take the part, but objections from the cast (mostly Zach Galifianakis) put the kibosh on that. Next, Liam Neeson was called up, but as Phillips readies the film for a Memorial Day release on a tight schedule, he still didn’t have the scene he wanted and now someone else is stepping into the role.

Nick Cassavetes has rolled up his sleeves to play the character previously pegged for Gibson, then Neeson, Variety reveals. The reason for the switch up has nothing to do with Neeson’s performance but rather the edit of the film. As Phillips shaped the film in advance of the release next month, he wound up cutting the scene immediately after Neeson’s appearance and in order for the narrative to make sense and get back to the adventures of The Wolfpack, the scene had to be reshot. However, Neeson is currently holed up in London shooting “The Clash of the Titans” sequel, so Cassavetes got the call.

“We were in a complete time crunch so I called up Nick and asked if he would do the part,” Phillips told the trade. “He came in and crushed it and that is the scene that you will ultimately see in the film.”

While Cassavetes is no stranger to acting on the big screen, it has been a while — his last credited role was all the way back in 1999 in “The Astronaut’s Wife” (and he also had a cameo last year in “Entourage“). So while the brief appearance is finally locked down, we’re still worried about the rest of “The Hangover Part II” which doesn’t seem to be bringing anything fresh to the equation. Here’s hoping the trailer flopped if only because all the raunchy and presumably funnier bits just couldn’t be shown. “The Hangover Part II” opens on May 26th.