Actors John Cena and Idris Elba team up for buddy movie Heads Of State
(From left) Idris Elba, John Cena and Priyanka Chopra in Heads Of State.
LONDON - John Cena and Idris Elba embark on a wild friendship journey in the action-adventure comedy Heads Of State.
American actor Cena , while English actor Elba stars as the experienced and cranky British Prime Minister Sam Clarke, an army veteran. When a tense meeting between the two disparate leaders is followed by an attack that threatens to blow up the world order, they must come together to save the day.
The pair, who also executive produced the movie that is showing on Prime Video, previously worked together on the 2021 superhero film The Suicide Squad.
'Honestly, our time on screen is effortless. He brings the best out of me and, in his words, I try to do my best to provide an environment where he can shine,' Cena said at Heads Of State's London premiere on July 1.
'I love the friendship nature of this film,' he added.
John Cena plays Hollywood action hero turned US President Will Derringer.
PHOTO: AFP
The movie is directed by Russian film-maker and musician Ilya Naishuller (Nobody, 2021), who said Cena, 48, and Elba, 52, brought a realness to their roles.
'They feed off each other as any good couple would, and they know how to argue together in such a way where this is the perfect combination of the American happy-go-lucky, optimistic president and the prime minister who is real about the job and how difficult it is,' said Naishuller, 41, adding he set out to make a summer blockbuster in the vein of the buddy action comedies of the 1980s and 90s.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore $3b money laundering case: 9 financial institutions handed $27.45m in MAS penalties over breaches
Singapore Banks tighten vigilance and measures following $3b money laundering case
Singapore Seller's stamp duty hike will curb short-term speculation; market effect likely minimal: Analysts
Singapore NTUC says some foreigners taking on platform work illegally, calls for work group to address issue
World Trump says countries to start paying tariffs on Aug 1; floats range of 10% to 70%
Singapore Think like criminals, anticipate cyber attack tactics: Experts
Singapore Tourism bump from Lady Gaga concerts raked in up to estimated $150m for Singapore economy
Life Book review: OB Markers sequel Ink And Influence makes catch-22 proposal for The Straits Times
Idris Elba (left) and John Cena in Heads Of State.
PHOTO: PRIME VIDEO
'The goal was, I want to do an hour and 45 (minutes) of the highest quality entertainment I can do and just do a crowd-pleaser and make sure that the people sitting at home on July the 4th are going to be united and having a great time,' he said, referencing the United States' Independence Day.
Heads Of State also stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas in the role of the pun-loving top MI6 agent Noel Bisset.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas attends the Heads Of State premiere on June 24.
PHOTO: AFP
'It was really different, because it was a comedy. Most of the action I've done has been in drama and thrillers,' the 42-year-old Indian actress said.
'I mean, listen, I love a good pun. You've got to be smart to be punny.' REUTERS
Heads Of State is showing on Prime Video.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
38 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Peru ramps up fight against illegal mining, kicks most informal miners off permit scheme
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox LIMA - Peru's government has kicked 50,565 informal miners off of a temporary program that allowed them to continue operations, the minister of energy and mines said on Friday. Only 31,560 miners will remain in the program that aims to formalize them and the government will reinforce its efforts against illegal mining, minister Jorge Montero told a local radio station. The government said at least 45,000 of the excluded miners had not registered any activity in the last four years. The program, called REINFO, was started in 2012 and meant to be temporary and formalize miners operating outside the law. It has since been extended multiple times and been criticized for enabling illegal mining. Government attempts to shutter the program have been met with protests and in late June the government said it was extending the program until the end of 2025. Protests have continue though, including a blockade in parts of Peru's key copper corridor earlier this week, with miners saying they want "unconditional formalization." Many workers have used the temporary permit to mine in prohibited areas or third-party property without having to comply with labor or environmental regulations, according to authorities and private mining companies. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore PAP has begun search for new candidates; PM Wong hopes to deploy them earlier ahead of next GE Singapore 20 retired MPs spoke up on many issues in Parliament, helped successors prepare for new role: PM Wong Singapore $3b money laundering case: 9 financial institutions handed $27.45m in MAS penalties over breaches Singapore Banks tighten vigilance and processes following $3b money laundering case Singapore Seller's stamp duty hike surprises some amid moderating property market, but is ultimately prudent Singapore Trilateral work group formed to address allegations of foreigners illegally taking on platform work Singapore Power distribution system in renewal project may be linked to Bukit Panjang LRT disruption: SMRT Singapore Rise in number of scam e-mails claiming to be from Cardinal William Goh: Catholic Church This has led to deadly clashes in mining regions, leaving dozens dead in the last few years, even leading President Dina Boluarte to temporarily suspend mining in the country's north after 13 gold mine workers were kidnapped and killed. REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
India proposes retaliatory duties at WTO against US tariffs on autos
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox New Delhi has proposed retaliatory duties against the US at the World Trade Organisation. New Delhi has proposed retaliatory duties against the US at the World Trade Organisation, saying Washington's 25 per cent tariff on automobiles and some auto parts would affect US$2.89 billion (S$3.68 billion) of India's exports, according to an official notification. 'India reserves the right to suspend concessions or other obligations ... that are substantially equivalent to the adverse effects of the measure to India's trade,' the statement said. According to the notification, the duty collected by the US would amount to US$725 million and New Delhi will impose an 'equivalent amount of duty collected from products originating in the United States'. India did not specify the tariff rate or which goods it would levy duties on. India is trying to clinch a trade deal with Washington before a July 9 deadline set by US President Donald Trump, after which he has threatened to impose a 26 per cent tariff on all imported Indian goods. India has signalled it is ready to slash its high tariff rates for the US but has not conceded on Washington's demands for opening up the agriculture and dairy sectors. REUTERS
Business Times
an hour ago
- Business Times
US plans AI chip curbs on Malaysia, Thailand over China concerns: sources
[WASHINGTON] US President Donald Trump's administration plans to restrict shipments of AI chips from the likes of Nvidia to Malaysia and Thailand, part of an effort to crack down on suspected semiconductor smuggling into China. A draft rule from the Commerce Department seeks to prevent China – to which the US has effectively banned sales of Nvidia's advanced AI processors – from obtaining those components through intermediaries in the two South-east Asian nations, according to people familiar with the matter. The rule is not yet finalised and could still change, said the people, who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations. Officials plan to pair the Malaysia and Thailand controls with a formal rescission of global curbs from the so-called AI diffusion rule, the people said. That framework from the end of President Joe Biden's term drew objections from US allies and tech companies, including Nvidia. Washington would maintain semiconductor restrictions targeting China – imposed in 2022 and ramped up several times since – as well as more than 40 other countries covered by a 2023 measure, which Biden officials designed to address smuggling concerns and increase visibility into key markets. All told, the regulation would mark the first formal step in Trump's promised overhaul of his predecessor's AI diffusion approach – after the Commerce Department said in May that it would supplant that Biden rule with its own 'bold, inclusive strategy.' But the draft measure is far from a comprehensive replacement, the people said. It does not answer, for example, questions about security conditions for the use of US chips in overseas data centres – a debate with particularly high stakes for the Middle East. It's unclear whether Trump officials may ultimately regulate AI chip shipments to a wider swath of countries, beyond the Malaysia and Thailand additions. The Commerce Department did not respond to a request for comment. The agency has offered few specifics about its regulatory vision beyond what Secretary Howard Lutnick told lawmakers last month: The US will 'allow our allies to buy AI chips, provided they're run by an approved American data centre operator, and the cloud that touches that data centre is an approved American operator,' he said during congressional testimony. Nvidia, the dominant maker of AI chips, declined to comment, while spokespeople for the Thai and Malaysian governments did not respond. Nvidia chief executive officer Jensen Huang has previously said there's 'no evidence' of AI chip diversion, in general remarks that did not touch on any particular country. In response to earlier Bloomberg queries about curbs focused on smuggling risks, Thailand said it's awaiting details, while Malaysia's Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry said clear and consistent policies are essential for the tech sector. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up Washington officials for years have debated which countries should be able to import American AI chips – and under what conditions. On one hand, the world wants Nvidia hardware, and US policymakers want the world to build AI systems using American technology – before China can offer a compelling alternative. On the other, once those semiconductors leave American and allied shores, US officials worry the chips could somehow make their way to China, or that Chinese AI companies could benefit from remote access to data centres outside the Asian country. South-east Asia is a key focus. Companies including Oracle are investing aggressively in data centres in Malaysia, and trade data shows that chip shipments there have surged in recent months. Under pressure from Washington, Malaysian officials have pledged to closely scrutinise those imports, but the Commerce Department's draft rule indicates the US still has concerns. Semiconductor sales to Malaysia also are a focal point of a court case in neighbouring Singapore, where prosecutors have charged three men with defrauding customers about the ultimate destination of AI servers – originally shipped from the island nation to Malaysia – that may have contained advanced Nvidia chips. (Nvidia is not the subject of Singapore's investigation and has not been accused of any wrongdoing.) The export curbs on Malaysia and Thailand would include several measures to ease pressure on companies with significant business operations there, people familiar with the matter said. One provision would allow firms headquartered in the US and a few dozen friendly nations to continue shipping AI chips to both countries, without seeking a licence, for a few months after the rule is published, people familiar with the matter said. The licence requirements also would still include certain exemptions to prevent supply chain disruptions, the people said. Many semiconductor companies rely on South-east Asian facilities for crucial manufacturing steps like packaging, the process of encasing chips for use in devices. BLOOMBERG
