Next year, Idris Elba and John Cena are making their DC Extended Universe debuts through The Suicide Squad, with the former playing Bloodsport and the latter playing Peacemaker. But that won’t mark the only instance of these two actors tackle an action project together, as they’ve boarded a project called Heads of State.
No specific plot details have been revealed for Heads of State yet, but it’s described as a “’90s style two-hander” and has a high-octane premises that’s feels like Air Force One meets Hobbs & Shaw, with Idris Elba and John Cena’s characters coming together as an “odd couple in high stakes situation.” Producer Peter Safran, who worked on The Suicide Squad, reportedly felt strongly about Elba and Cena’s chemistry together, resulting in Safran looking for another movie they could star in.
Deadline also reports that Amazon Studios has acquired Heads of State, and Idris Elba and John Cena are finalizing their deals. It’s unclear if the movie will only be available on the Prime Video streaming service or if it will also get some kind of theatrical release, though considering how popular Elba and Cena are, you can be sure a lot of people would turn out to see Heads of State on the big screen. Harrison Query wrote the screenplay, but there’s no word yet on who will direct the picture.
While The Suicide Squad marked the first time Idris Elba and John Cena worked together, both men already had impressive blockbuster resumes before boarding the DC movie. Elba’s credits in that area include Star Trek Beyond, The Dark Tower, Hobbs & Shaw and his time as Heimdall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Cena’s biggest action-oriented movie so far is the Transformers spinoff Bumblebee, but along with The Suicide Squad, 2021 will also see him appearing in the ninth Fast & Furious movie, F9.
Since The Suicide Squad is a little under a year away, we don’t know yet much time Bloodsport and Peacemaker spend together, but evidently it’s a significant amount if it convinced Peter Safran that Idris Elba and John Cena would pair well in Heads of State. It’s also worth mentioning that Cena will reprise Peacemaker in an HBO Max series from James Gunn, although there’s no word yet on if it will be set before or after the movie.
Amazon reportedly moved quickly to snag Heads of State as the project was being pitched by Harrison Query, so clearly the company thinks it has great potential. Will this be a one-and-done action flick or the start of a potential franchise? It’s way too soon to tell, but I can wait for when the first Heads of State footage of Idris Elba and John Cena beating up bad guys finally drops.
Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more news concerning Heads of State, and let us know in the poll and comments below if you’re excited for Idris Elba and John Cena to kick some ass in it. Learn what movies are supposed to come out in the near future with our 2020 release schedule and 2021 release schedule.
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