Russian-born director Ilya Naishuller quickly made a name for himself with his 2015 actioner “Hardcore Henry.” Then last year he turned “Better Call Saul” star Bob Odenkirk into a bonafide action star in “Nobody.” So, what does Naishuller have in store for audiences next? Deadline reports that he’ll helm a new action-packed movie for Amazon Studios called “Heads Of State,” with Idris Elba and John Cena attached to star.
Plot details are slim on “Heads Of State,” but Deadline describes it as “Air Force One” meets “Midnight Run.” That doesn’t sound half-bad at all. Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec pen the script, an update of an initial draft done by Harrison Query. New DC Studios co-head Peter Safran co-produces the film through The Safran Company with John Rickard.
Elba’s recent work includes “Three Thousand Years Of Longing,” “Beast,” and voicing Knuckles in “Sonic The Hedgehog 2.” He also stars in the upcoming film “Luther,” a continuation of the popular BBC detective series. Another forthcoming project for Elba is “Hijack” for Apple TV+.
As for Cena, he reprised his role of Peacemaker from last year’s “The Suicide Squad” in the HBO Max series “Peacemaker.” In addition, he stars in several upcoming movies in 2023, including Matthew Vaughn‘s “Argylle,” “The Independent,” “Freelance,” and “Fast X.”
An action movie with Idris Elba and John Cena with Ilya Naishuller directing? That sounds like a winning combination for Amazon. Expect “Heads Of State” to have a late-2023 release at the earliest.
