Director Renny Harlin, known for Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger, returns to the action genre with a political thriller centered on the United States presidential limousine. The Beast, starring Samuel L. Jackson as the President alongside Joel Kinnaman and Guy Burnet, is now playing in theaters.
Distributed by Aura Entertainment and Unified Pictures, the movie was written by Umair Aleem, who previously wrote the action thriller Kate. The production was developed under an interim agreement during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Keith Kjarval, John Logan Pierson, and Peter Berg produced the film.
Jackson plays the President for the second time after appearing as the U.S. commander-in-chief in Jalmari Helander’s 2014 action movie Big Game. Harlin takes a different approach to the presidential siege setup used in Gerard Butler’s Has Fallen movies. Instead of placing the President in the White House or another heavily guarded government location, The Beast puts him in the presidential state car.
The vehicle, a heavily armored Cadillac limousine known as “The Beast,” becomes the center of the action after a coordinated attack separates the President from his security team. The limousine is designed to withstand ballistic attacks, chemical threats, and explosives, turning it into a mobile bunker.
What is The Beast with Samuel L. Jackson about?
The story begins as the President’s motorcade comes under attack in hostile territory. A paramilitary militia launches the attack as part of an attempted coup against the U.S. government. The assault destroys several escort vehicles and separates the President from his protective detail and wife. He ends up inside the armored limousine with injured Secret Service agent Taft, played by Kinnaman.
The two men soon discover that escaping the area will not be simple. Communications have been disrupted, federal support is unavailable, and the militia continues to pursue the vehicle. Taft reveals that the presidential limousine contains more than heavy armor. Its classified systems include defensive technology, countermeasures, and weapons designed to respond to a serious attack.
As the militia uses heavier weapons and aerial attacks against the vehicle, Jackson must keep the limousine moving while protecting himself and trying to stop the coup.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
