Liam Neeson ‘Taken 3’? ‘Star Wars’ Actor Offered $20 Million To Return, Biggest Paycheck Ever

Liam Neeson is reportedly close to signing on for "Taken 3," a deal that would pay him $20 million from 20th Century Fox to reprise his role as retired CIA agent and protective father Bryan Mills.

If he accepts, it'll be the biggest deal he's ever achieved, according to IGN.com. He'll join the ranks of other $20 million actors like Neeson's ex-lover Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Angelina Jolie, Reese Witherspoon, Tom Hanks, Jim Carrey, and Mel Gibson. Stars like Kristen Stewart, Brad Pitt, Robert Downey Jr., and Johnny Depp can currently demand even more than that, Yahoo! Reports.

"Taken" was destined to become an action franchise when the original 2009 film, which cost only $5 million more than what Neeson is getting paid for the third film, grossed $376 million worldwide, according to Yahoo!. Last year's "Taken 2" cost $45 million and raked in $226 million.

Fans may be surprised that Neeson is back for "Taken 3" after comments made by Neeson after "Taken 2," The Huffington Post reports.

"I think this is the end," Neeson, 61, said about the franchise last year, "I mean how many times can she be taken? I mean, it's bad parenthood, really, after that."

Screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen admitted that "Taken 3" was not a sure thing until recently. "We didn't start talking about [Taken 3] until we saw the numbers,"Kamen said in an interview with Hollywood.com last year. "But then we said, 'Oh, okay. I think we should do a third one.' And Fox wants us to do a third one. [...] We've taken everyone we can take, [though] -- it's going to go in another direction."

"Taken 3" will begin production in March 2014. No director or supporting cast has been announced, though Deadline.com speculates that "Taken 2" director Olivier Megaton will return, as will Neeson's co-stars Maggie Grace and Famke Janssen. Grace plays Mills's daughter, while Janssen is his ex-wife.