Latest news with #Elba
Evening Standard
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
King Charles meets with Idris Elba at summit to tackle knife crime at St James's Palace
Elba, 52, who launched the Don't Stop Your Future campaign last year, joined the King to film scenes for a Netflix documentary marking the 50th anniversary of The King's Trust. A six-strong crew recorded parts of the session, with the film due to air in 2026.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
King ‘riveted' by story of Royal Marine boxer who was stabbed
The King said he was 'riveted' to hear the story of a Royal Marine and boxer as he hosted actor Idris Elba, recipients of the King's Trust and campaigners at St James's Palace. Kyle Shaw-Tullin, a Royal Marine and Team GB boxer, who was stabbed in Oldham as a teenager, told a table discussion that getting back in the boxing ring after the attack helped keep him out of trouble. Charles said it was 'a good point' about 'being too exhausted to get into trouble'. Charles also invited the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who had come from chairing a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, in attendance too. He said he was 'enormously grateful' for the support of the attendees. The King said: 'The critical thing is how do we induce the action. 'So often I can't help feeling with problems how do you join up all the dots between different departments and different agencies and voluntary organisations? 'This is the key, how do we do that? 'Is there some one person who can help make sure all this happens?' The prime minister lauded Elba's 'brilliant' campaign against knife crime called Don't Stop Your Future and congratulated other activists for their work, calling them 'inspirational'. Meanwhile, the Luther star said there had been some 'milestones' in knife crime campaigning but added 'we can't take out foot off the pedal'. Elba said: 'We've seen some things happen, and that's great. 'There's also been a small rise in knife crime at the same time, OK? 'And compared to the year before that rising knife crime might be less than the year before, but it was still a rise. 'So we can't take our foot off the pedal. 'We have to stay focused.'
Western Telegraph
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
King ‘riveted' by story of Royal Marine boxer who was stabbed
Kyle Shaw-Tullin, a Royal Marine and Team GB boxer, who was stabbed in Oldham as a teenager, told a table discussion that getting back in the boxing ring after the attack helped keep him out of trouble. Charles said it was 'a good point' about 'being too exhausted to get into trouble'. Charles listens as Idris Elba, founder of the Elba Hope Foundation, speaks at St James's Palace (Aaron Chown/PA) Charles also invited the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who had come from chairing a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, in attendance too. He said he was 'enormously grateful' for the support of the attendees. The King said: 'The critical thing is how do we induce the action. 'So often I can't help feeling with problems how do you join up all the dots between different departments and different agencies and voluntary organisations? 'This is the key, how do we do that? 'Is there some one person who can help make sure all this happens?' The prime minister lauded Elba's 'brilliant' campaign against knife crime called Don't Stop Your Future and congratulated other activists for their work, calling them 'inspirational'. Meanwhile, the Luther star said there had been some 'milestones' in knife crime campaigning but added 'we can't take out foot off the pedal'. Elba said: 'We've seen some things happen, and that's great. 'There's also been a small rise in knife crime at the same time, OK? 'And compared to the year before that rising knife crime might be less than the year before, but it was still a rise. 'So we can't take our foot off the pedal. 'We have to stay focused.'
The Advertiser
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Soundtrack shines but background plot is missing in action
Action comedies are a dime a dozen, and Heads of State is no exception. The new Prime offering sees Idris Elba occupying Downing Street as the British PM of six years, while John Cena is the freshly elected, former-movie-star president of the United States. The pair are far from chummy, with Cena's Will Derringer harbouring a grudge against Elba's Sam Clarke for having a fish and chip lunch with his opponent during the election. Derringer is all about image and being liked, while Clarke is well past those days, and is only interested in taking the job seriously and avoiding silly matters of face and reputation. The world leaders are headed to a summit in Italy aboard Air Force One when the plane is compromised and they must leap to their safety over the forests of Belarus. Stranded in not-so-friendly territory with the world believing they are dead, the unlikely duo have to work together to get to safety and stop whatever plot is threatening global safety. The comedy is fairly broad in Heads of State, with easy one-liners and obvious jokes only slightly working because of the charm of the two leads. Cena seemingly has no requirement to come out looking cool (unlike, say, his Fast and Furious co-stars Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson or Vin Diesel) and so a lot of the comedy is played off of his character's inability to function despite a background in action movies. Elba gets to be the more capable of the two, and is also handed the more understated lines to deliver with perfect Britishness. Heads of State is directed by Ilya Naishuller, known for the violent and stylish Hardcore Henry and Nobody. This film is certainly tamer than those two, and has less of a distinct or memorable filmmaking voice. There are, however, a couple of sequences that have some real spark about them and go a ways to stopping this film from being a dud. Firstly, there's the whole sequence with Jack Quaid's character. Quaid is having a good year, starring in robot thriller Companion and hilarious actioner Novocaine No Pain (which is still the worst title ever, why couldn't we just have called it Novocaine like the rest of the world?), along with a resume that includes The Boys, Oppenheimer, The Hunger Games and the Scream reboot. He's popular and successful for a reason, and when his character - a CIA operative manning a safe house in Prague - is introduced to the film, it is the turbo boost Heads of State really needs to get back on track. His character is quirky and odd, and obsessed with Derringer, and the scene plays out with some of the most enjoyable action in the whole film. It is also soundtracked by the always blood-pumping Beastie Boys classic Sabotage. The music selection makes a huge difference to the enjoyment of the film, and this continues later with Motley Crue's Kickstart My Heart getting its moment to shine. Priyanka Chopra (Quantico) plays a supporting role as a pun-obsessed secret agent who has a romance with Clarke in her past, but the script doesn't really know what to do with her for most of the time. This brings us to our second sparky sequence, a Wes Anderson-esque montage of her character's activities off screen. It's short and sweet but a delightful addition to the film. The background plot is extremely colour-by-numbers and forgettable, involving a weapons dealer (Paddy Considine delivering a boring performance that is more than likely the result of a thinly written character) hiring a team to help him hack into secret surveillance technology and stay one step ahead of the world's security forces at all times. The film also stars Carla Gugino and Stephen Root. Action comedies are a dime a dozen, and Heads of State is no exception. The new Prime offering sees Idris Elba occupying Downing Street as the British PM of six years, while John Cena is the freshly elected, former-movie-star president of the United States. The pair are far from chummy, with Cena's Will Derringer harbouring a grudge against Elba's Sam Clarke for having a fish and chip lunch with his opponent during the election. Derringer is all about image and being liked, while Clarke is well past those days, and is only interested in taking the job seriously and avoiding silly matters of face and reputation. The world leaders are headed to a summit in Italy aboard Air Force One when the plane is compromised and they must leap to their safety over the forests of Belarus. Stranded in not-so-friendly territory with the world believing they are dead, the unlikely duo have to work together to get to safety and stop whatever plot is threatening global safety. The comedy is fairly broad in Heads of State, with easy one-liners and obvious jokes only slightly working because of the charm of the two leads. Cena seemingly has no requirement to come out looking cool (unlike, say, his Fast and Furious co-stars Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson or Vin Diesel) and so a lot of the comedy is played off of his character's inability to function despite a background in action movies. Elba gets to be the more capable of the two, and is also handed the more understated lines to deliver with perfect Britishness. Heads of State is directed by Ilya Naishuller, known for the violent and stylish Hardcore Henry and Nobody. This film is certainly tamer than those two, and has less of a distinct or memorable filmmaking voice. There are, however, a couple of sequences that have some real spark about them and go a ways to stopping this film from being a dud. Firstly, there's the whole sequence with Jack Quaid's character. Quaid is having a good year, starring in robot thriller Companion and hilarious actioner Novocaine No Pain (which is still the worst title ever, why couldn't we just have called it Novocaine like the rest of the world?), along with a resume that includes The Boys, Oppenheimer, The Hunger Games and the Scream reboot. He's popular and successful for a reason, and when his character - a CIA operative manning a safe house in Prague - is introduced to the film, it is the turbo boost Heads of State really needs to get back on track. His character is quirky and odd, and obsessed with Derringer, and the scene plays out with some of the most enjoyable action in the whole film. It is also soundtracked by the always blood-pumping Beastie Boys classic Sabotage. The music selection makes a huge difference to the enjoyment of the film, and this continues later with Motley Crue's Kickstart My Heart getting its moment to shine. Priyanka Chopra (Quantico) plays a supporting role as a pun-obsessed secret agent who has a romance with Clarke in her past, but the script doesn't really know what to do with her for most of the time. This brings us to our second sparky sequence, a Wes Anderson-esque montage of her character's activities off screen. It's short and sweet but a delightful addition to the film. The background plot is extremely colour-by-numbers and forgettable, involving a weapons dealer (Paddy Considine delivering a boring performance that is more than likely the result of a thinly written character) hiring a team to help him hack into secret surveillance technology and stay one step ahead of the world's security forces at all times. The film also stars Carla Gugino and Stephen Root. Action comedies are a dime a dozen, and Heads of State is no exception. The new Prime offering sees Idris Elba occupying Downing Street as the British PM of six years, while John Cena is the freshly elected, former-movie-star president of the United States. The pair are far from chummy, with Cena's Will Derringer harbouring a grudge against Elba's Sam Clarke for having a fish and chip lunch with his opponent during the election. Derringer is all about image and being liked, while Clarke is well past those days, and is only interested in taking the job seriously and avoiding silly matters of face and reputation. The world leaders are headed to a summit in Italy aboard Air Force One when the plane is compromised and they must leap to their safety over the forests of Belarus. Stranded in not-so-friendly territory with the world believing they are dead, the unlikely duo have to work together to get to safety and stop whatever plot is threatening global safety. The comedy is fairly broad in Heads of State, with easy one-liners and obvious jokes only slightly working because of the charm of the two leads. Cena seemingly has no requirement to come out looking cool (unlike, say, his Fast and Furious co-stars Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson or Vin Diesel) and so a lot of the comedy is played off of his character's inability to function despite a background in action movies. Elba gets to be the more capable of the two, and is also handed the more understated lines to deliver with perfect Britishness. Heads of State is directed by Ilya Naishuller, known for the violent and stylish Hardcore Henry and Nobody. This film is certainly tamer than those two, and has less of a distinct or memorable filmmaking voice. There are, however, a couple of sequences that have some real spark about them and go a ways to stopping this film from being a dud. Firstly, there's the whole sequence with Jack Quaid's character. Quaid is having a good year, starring in robot thriller Companion and hilarious actioner Novocaine No Pain (which is still the worst title ever, why couldn't we just have called it Novocaine like the rest of the world?), along with a resume that includes The Boys, Oppenheimer, The Hunger Games and the Scream reboot. He's popular and successful for a reason, and when his character - a CIA operative manning a safe house in Prague - is introduced to the film, it is the turbo boost Heads of State really needs to get back on track. His character is quirky and odd, and obsessed with Derringer, and the scene plays out with some of the most enjoyable action in the whole film. It is also soundtracked by the always blood-pumping Beastie Boys classic Sabotage. The music selection makes a huge difference to the enjoyment of the film, and this continues later with Motley Crue's Kickstart My Heart getting its moment to shine. Priyanka Chopra (Quantico) plays a supporting role as a pun-obsessed secret agent who has a romance with Clarke in her past, but the script doesn't really know what to do with her for most of the time. This brings us to our second sparky sequence, a Wes Anderson-esque montage of her character's activities off screen. It's short and sweet but a delightful addition to the film. The background plot is extremely colour-by-numbers and forgettable, involving a weapons dealer (Paddy Considine delivering a boring performance that is more than likely the result of a thinly written character) hiring a team to help him hack into secret surveillance technology and stay one step ahead of the world's security forces at all times. The film also stars Carla Gugino and Stephen Root. Action comedies are a dime a dozen, and Heads of State is no exception. The new Prime offering sees Idris Elba occupying Downing Street as the British PM of six years, while John Cena is the freshly elected, former-movie-star president of the United States. The pair are far from chummy, with Cena's Will Derringer harbouring a grudge against Elba's Sam Clarke for having a fish and chip lunch with his opponent during the election. Derringer is all about image and being liked, while Clarke is well past those days, and is only interested in taking the job seriously and avoiding silly matters of face and reputation. The world leaders are headed to a summit in Italy aboard Air Force One when the plane is compromised and they must leap to their safety over the forests of Belarus. Stranded in not-so-friendly territory with the world believing they are dead, the unlikely duo have to work together to get to safety and stop whatever plot is threatening global safety. The comedy is fairly broad in Heads of State, with easy one-liners and obvious jokes only slightly working because of the charm of the two leads. Cena seemingly has no requirement to come out looking cool (unlike, say, his Fast and Furious co-stars Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson or Vin Diesel) and so a lot of the comedy is played off of his character's inability to function despite a background in action movies. Elba gets to be the more capable of the two, and is also handed the more understated lines to deliver with perfect Britishness. Heads of State is directed by Ilya Naishuller, known for the violent and stylish Hardcore Henry and Nobody. This film is certainly tamer than those two, and has less of a distinct or memorable filmmaking voice. There are, however, a couple of sequences that have some real spark about them and go a ways to stopping this film from being a dud. Firstly, there's the whole sequence with Jack Quaid's character. Quaid is having a good year, starring in robot thriller Companion and hilarious actioner Novocaine No Pain (which is still the worst title ever, why couldn't we just have called it Novocaine like the rest of the world?), along with a resume that includes The Boys, Oppenheimer, The Hunger Games and the Scream reboot. He's popular and successful for a reason, and when his character - a CIA operative manning a safe house in Prague - is introduced to the film, it is the turbo boost Heads of State really needs to get back on track. His character is quirky and odd, and obsessed with Derringer, and the scene plays out with some of the most enjoyable action in the whole film. It is also soundtracked by the always blood-pumping Beastie Boys classic Sabotage. The music selection makes a huge difference to the enjoyment of the film, and this continues later with Motley Crue's Kickstart My Heart getting its moment to shine. Priyanka Chopra (Quantico) plays a supporting role as a pun-obsessed secret agent who has a romance with Clarke in her past, but the script doesn't really know what to do with her for most of the time. This brings us to our second sparky sequence, a Wes Anderson-esque montage of her character's activities off screen. It's short and sweet but a delightful addition to the film. The background plot is extremely colour-by-numbers and forgettable, involving a weapons dealer (Paddy Considine delivering a boring performance that is more than likely the result of a thinly written character) hiring a team to help him hack into secret surveillance technology and stay one step ahead of the world's security forces at all times. The film also stars Carla Gugino and Stephen Root.
Bangkok Post
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Bangkok Post
A pitch perfect pairing
What makes an action movie exciting and enjoyable, even when the story is simple or predictable? It doesn't happen often, but every now and then, a film comes along that proves a formulaic plot doesn't have to be a dealbreaker. Enter Prime Video's latest buddy action flick, Heads Of State -- a wild, high-energy, odd-couple romp that resurrects a familiar formula and injects it with sharp comedic timing and absurdly fun set pieces. Idris Elba and John Cena are the unexpected duo that make it all work. Directed by Ilya Naishuller, Heads Of State opens with a clever premise. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sam Clarke (Elba), and the President of the United States, Will Derringer (Cena), are bitter rivals. Their public antagonism threatens the historically close alliance between their countries. But things escalate quickly when the two world leaders become the targets of a powerful and elusive foreign enemy. With global security at risk and nowhere left to turn, Clarke and Derringer are forced to rely on the only people they can trust -- each other. Teaming up with MI6 agent Noelle Bisset (Priyanka Chopra), they embark on a globe-trotting mission to unravel a deadly conspiracy, avoid being killed at every turn and somehow work together long enough to save the world. In an amusing meta-twist, Cena's character is a former action movie star who has somehow ended up in the White House. He's brash, media-savvy, full of showbiz charm and beloved by voters more for his personality than for political acumen. On the other hand, Elba's character is a stereotypical British politician -- stoic, serious and endlessly proper. This contrast creates a dynamic that fuels most of the film's best moments. The friction between them is palpable but playfully handled, evolving into a genuine bromance as the film progresses. I was genuinely surprised at how effective the comedic timing was between the two leads. Elba and Cena bounce off each other with effortless rhythm and their snarky exchanges never feel forced. There's a clear sense that both actors were having fun during filming and that energy translates to the screen. Their chemistry makes even the more absurd moments work, grounding the over-the-top antics in real personality. One of the best things about Heads Of State is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. The movie leans hard into its own ridiculousness and has no problem poking fun at action movie clichés or political stereotypes. It's cheesy -- deliberately so -- and packed with exaggerated scenarios that border on satire. Whether it's a car chase that turns into a knife fight or a tense diplomatic meeting that devolves into slapstick, the film constantly straddles the line between action and parody. Priyanka Chopra, fresh off her turn in the spy series Citadel, once again proves she's got the action heroine role down to a science. She brings agility and grit to her performance and looks even more comfortable in the action scenes this time around. Her character serves as a counterbalance to the chaotic energy of Elba and Cena, grounding the film when it threatens to fly completely off the rails. Now, not everything about the film is stellar. The villains, for instance, are generic and largely forgettable. They exist mostly to provide someone for the leads to run from or fight with. Their motivations are vague, their personalities underdeveloped and they come across more as plot devices than real threats. Still, their one-dimensional nature doesn't significantly detract from the fun -- it just makes the film lean even more into the lighthearted, comic-book feel. When Cena and Elba are being chased, their enemies are little more than relentless henchmen -- faceless, expendable and purely functional. But that only enhances the buddy-comedy dynamic. The tension doesn't come from the threat level; it comes from watching the two leads try to work together while everything around them falls apart. The movie is far-fetched yet highly predictable, and it gets a bit preachy towards the end with some forced social commentary. But even that doesn't manage to drag down the sheer sense of fun that dominates the rest of the film. The tone stays consistent, the pacing never lags and the action scenes keep coming with a relentless energy. Heads Of State delivers the kind of experience that other streaming blockbusters -- like Red Notice (2021) or Six Underground (2019) -- have attempted but failed to execute successfully. Here, the blend of spectacle, stunts and comedy feels much more cohesive. At just under two hours, the film never overstays its welcome. It keeps the momentum going with a clean, straightforward plot that doesn't demand much from the viewer, but still offers enough engagement to make you care. From the outside, this might look like a generic, disposable action flick. I found Heads Of State to be a pleasant surprise. It's easy, silly and chaotic in all the familiar ways. The kind of movie you throw on at the end of a long week when you just want to kick back and enjoy some mindless fun.
