Movies begetting other movies

Let me start by saying that I have no idea about the production history of the new movie Colombiana. The script could have been whipped up by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen two weeks before shooting began, or it could have been gestating in each of their brains for ten years. The thing I can say for sure is that it was not based on some previous property -- if so, wikipedia would have told me, right? ;-)

But I do know that shooting began last August, about a year ago -- also courtesy of wikipedia. (God, my credibility is really at an all-time low.) That's about four months after The Losers, also starring Zoe Saldana, hit theaters.

So I ask you, tongue somewhat in my cheek, what are the chances that the entire existence of Colombiana was inspired by Saldana's performance/appearance in The Losers?

Consider the trailers back to back. First The Losers:



And now Colombiana:




It's not just using Saldana in action hero mode in both movies. It's the style of the action, the film stock used, even the locales -- both movies have her kicking someone's ass in an interior room, involving furniture, and both movies have her sitting in a bathtub. Oh, and both movies show her in her underwear -- both with a gun, in a violent context, and with a man, in a sexual context. Both movies even seem to have a number of scenes set in South America.

You've got to at least give me that they cast Saldana in Colombiana based on The Losers, right?

Then again, we saw Saldana in her underwear even when she played Uhura. So maybe people just like seeing Zoe Saldana in her underwear.