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Woods, Hauser & Mitchell Join Different White House Peril Thrillers

by Ben Pearson
July 9, 2012
Source: Variety, THR

You're likely aware that the latest example of Hollywood's "two at a time" trend is dueling action films set at the White House featuring storylines about the President being captured. It's certainly pertinent timing considering this is an election year, so what better way to let out some frustration at the constant political advertising we're about to experience than to see two fictional Presidents get captured and held for ransom? Now Videodrome star James Woods and Pitch Black star Radha Mitchell, and Cole Hauser have respectively joined these opposing films, and we've got details of just who they will be playing. More below!

Roland Emmerich's White House Down stars Channing Tatum as a single father Secret Service agent who must save the President during a hostile takeover of the White House. Variety reports that Woods is in negotiations for the role of the head of the Presidential detail, which seems like excellent casting to me. He'll join the previously-announced Maggie Gyllenhaal, who is playing an agent, and Jamie Foxx, who is playing the President.

Antoine Fuqua's Olympus Has Fallen stars Gerard Butler as a former Secret Service agent who has to protect the President (Aaron Eckhart) when 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. is overridden. Deadline reports that Radha Mitchell will play Butler's wife, and THR brings word that Hauser will play a Secret Service agent alongside Butler who helps to protect our country's leader.

Olympus Has Fallen starts filming next week, and White House Down starts rolling next month, so it looks like these projects really are going toe to toe to figure out which one will finish production and come out in theaters first. I still can't shake the feeling that neither of these films will be as good as Air Force One, which saw the President (played by Harrison Ford) and his family captured by Gary Oldman during a midair hijacking of the world's most famous plane. That's not a spectacular movie by any means, but it's cheesy in all the right ways and these upcoming projects would probably benefit from attempting to replicate that sort of tone with such serious subject matter in a post 9/11 world.

Filed under Casting, Movie News

From around the web:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=630288248 Anthony Brown

Oooo! Piece of candy!
http://twitter.com/lalapoop123 lalapoop

White house down might be so bad yet is going to be so good. Fallen one might be good yet I get the feeling i might get bored with it.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Nuno-Lopes/100001022192304 Nuno Lopes

Fuqua one might be good, but Emmerich's one don't think so, why every single one of his movies revolves around "single parent" heroe?
Ehsan Davodi

I want real characters , I mean PLAUSIBLE & SYMPATISTIC. Cinema is not place for propaganda , I mean Hollywood must prize the election for giving unforgettable political pictures not just heroism or patriotism propaganda. Definitely this subjects must define in some places of movie but exaggeration or extravagance can indemnify to the movie. Consequencely draw off the audiences and decrease the profit. And about this two excellent work , I think Fuqua win my heart and Emmerich win my money. But anyway love both.
Chance Worthington

I agree this leans to far into propaganda... This kind of content belongs in the 80s; where it should have stayed. Being the sleight of hand Gov has been using with Terrorism for years now just to push an agenda this just smells foul. Hell if it had of been at least Real Terrorists ID deal with it. But the Irony its supposed to be NK is... just.... common....