They say life isn’t about the destination, it’s about the journey.
For Gerard Butler in the new movie “Kandahar,” it’s about both. Butler plays Tom Harris, an undercover CIA operative working against the Iranian nuclear program. When his mission is exposed, he has 30 hours to make it to an extraction point in Kandahar, some 400 miles away.
(Gerard Butler in “Kandahar.” (Open Road)With Harris is his Afghan translator (Navid Negahban, “Homeland”), who had already escaped from Afghanistan. Together, the two must navigate the Taliban’s new Afghanistan, the rival militias and a foreign intelligence bent on revenge to return to their families.
“Kandahar” is an epic road trip across dangerous, unknown terrain, set amid a spy thriller, and Butler’s Harris is far from the James Bond kind of operative.
Don’t expect the kind of action where the bad guys can’t aim and the hero never has to reload. Once Harris’ mission is blown, he and his translator have to trust each other and work together to survive.
There is an interesting element of realism thrown into this Iranian Cold War spy game. “Kandahar” was written by Mitchell LaFortune, an Army veteran who helped develop counterinsurgency strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan during his deployments. As a soldier with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), he also actively worked against Iranian influence in the region.
LaFortune’s deep knowledge of the region could mean veterans of the Afghan War and foreign policy wonks will have a special insight to the complex landscape across which Harris and his translator have to survive.
Director Ric Roman Waugh, who worked with Butler in “Angel Has Fallen” and “Greenland,” returns to direct “Kandahar” in what’s sure to be a movie that is peak Gerard Butler.
Gerard Butler and Navid Negahban in “Kandahar.” (Open Road)Just judging from the trailer, Harris and his translator are all alone in their journey, hopelessly outgunned, while outrunning jihadi fighters, like the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and certainly the Taliban.
“Kandahar” also stars Ali Fazal (“Furious 7”) and Travis Fimmel (“Vikings”). It opens in theaters nationwide on May 26, 2023.
— Blake Stilwell can be reached at [email protected]. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on LinkedIn.
News
Reacher Season 3 Gives Us First Look At The Dutch Giant, Olivier Richters, On Set And He’s Already Messing With Alan Ritchson
Clash of the (literal) titans! (Image credit: Marvel Studios) Paulie is a character that Reacher fans have been curious about ever since it was confirmed that Reacher Season 3 – the hit show available with an Amazon Prime Video subscription – would be adapting the…
Gerard Butler’s Den of Thieves Sequel Finally Sets Theatrical Release Date
Den of Thieves 2: Pantera has finally gotten its theatrical release date. A date has finally been put on the board for Gerard Butler’s upcoming action sequel Den of Thieves 2: Pantera. A sequel to 2018’s Den of Thieves, the new film has been…
Gerard Butler is in Talks To Star in The Action-Thriller Comedy EMPIRE STATE
Gerard Butler is in talks to star in an upcoming comedic action-thriller titled Empire State, which is about the Empire State Building being attacked. Butler will re-team with Den Of Thieves director Christian Gudegast on the project, which will involve two first responders who don’t…
Gerard Butler’s ‘Den of Thieves 2’ Finally Sets a Release Date After 6 Years
Butler will star opposite O’Shea Jackson Jr. for the sequel to the hit heist film. Image via STXfilms THE BIG PICTURE Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is set to release on January 10, 2025 with the original cast returning for another heist…
Kriti Sanon Reveals Her Fangirl Moment With Gerard Butler, Calls Him Humble: ‘I Was Like Oh My God’
The Crew actress mentioned that the incident took place when she was shooting for her Telugu film with Mahesh Babu in London. Kriti Sanon is gearing up for her next release Do Patti with Kajol. Well, recently the teaser was…
The Top 10 Films Featuring Gerard Butler, According to Critical Acclaim
Known for his commanding screen presence, Gerard Butler has secured his place among the luminaries of the film industry. From his early beginnings with a background in law to becoming a standout performer in film and television, the 54-year-old Scottish veteran has…
End of content
No more pages to load