Director Lexi Alexander discusses the pre-production process of The Punisher: Welcome Back Frank on her personal blog. She also discusses the training that Ray Stevenson has had to go through to prepare for the role.

She writes:

Pre-production to me always feels like the ride up a hill on a major rollercoaster, right before the big drop. There are suddenly little airplanes in your stomach and you ask yourself why on earth you agreed to jump on this ride.

By now, everybody knows that the new PUNISHER is a remarkable actor named RAY STEVENSON. I can't find enough words of praise to describe this formidable actor and true Gentleman.

Currently he is staying at the home of his trainer and my fight choreographer, Pat Johnson. Johnson - the man, the myth, the legend - is, of course, responsible for the great fight scenes in Hooligans, as well as the boxing in my first short film, Johnny Flynton.

For the past few weekends, Ray has also had major Military training with a bunch of badass Marines from a company called Gunmetal.

To can read the whole thing,

The Punisher: Welcome Back Frank is to be released sometime in 2008.

Punisher: War Zone was released December 5th, 2008 and stars Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Doug Hutchison, Colin Salmon, Wayne Knight, Dash Mihok, Julie Benz, Stephanie Janusauskas. The film is directed by Lexi Alexander.