Fans of spy thrillers and Rami Malek have been eagerly awaiting “The Amateur”, based on Robert Littell’s novel, which has been in production for years. In 2023, the main cast was finally announced, and now we’re getting our first look at this espionage thriller.
Malek stars as Charlie Heller, a brilliant but deeply introverted CIA decoder working out of a basement office. His life is turned upside down when his wife (Rachel Brosnahan) is killed in a London terrorist attack. When the CIA refuses to take action, Charlie takes matters into his own hands, setting off across the globe to track down each of those responsible. His intelligence serving as the ultimate weapon for eluding his pursuers and achieving his revenge.
In the trailer wee see Charlie turn to a CIA instructor played by Laurence Fishburne for help. While Charlie isn’t a trained killer, he uses his intelligence and technical skill to carry out his revenge in smart, calculated moves rather than brute force.
“In the back of our minds, it was always, ‘He’s going to do some extraordinary things that stop the popcorn from reaching your mouth, but at the end of the day, he is still “the amateur.”‘ So we kept that as a compass, along with Charlie’s moral compass.” Said Malek “Both guided us and reminded us that we were putting someone in a position they’ve never been in before. He’s digging into the deepest part of his soul, his ingenuity and his mind, all at once, in order to do some extraordinary things that he didn’t even think he was capable of.” Shared Malek in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter,
Malek is no stranger to revenge-driven roles. In Mr. Robot, his Emmy-winning performance as vigilante hacker Elliot Alderson, his crusade was centered against corporate greed. But in “The Amateur”, Charlie’s mission is more personal, motivated by love. “In this case, Charlie has lost his soulmate, the love of his life. He’s turned away [by the CIA],” Malek explained, “and that breeds an explosive nature in him, making him quite different.”
Courtesy of 20th Century Studios
The film promises plenty of action and excitement with what Charlie has in store for those who have wronged him. There’s even a moment that is reminiscent of Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight as Charlie walks away from an explosion. Malek mentioned that realism was key, saying, “It made me think about Heath Ledger [in ‘The Dark Knight’], when part of the hospital explosion didn’t go off right away. You then see that he actually flinched once it did, and [Christopher] Nolan kept it in the film. But even a character like [the Joker] is going to flinch at an explosion. So the idea of not blinking as you walk away from something of that caliber is just not realistic, and our aim was to make things as realistic as possible,” Malek said.
Courtesy of 20th Century Studios
The film also stars Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, and Danny Sapani.
Directed by James Hawes and co-written by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli, Malek also produce The Amateur, along with Hutch Parker, Dan Wilson, and Joel B. Michaels, with JJ Hook serving as an executive producer.
Courtesy of 20th Century Studios
“The Amateur” is set for release in theaters nationwide on April 11, 2025.
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