Along with Jodie Turner-Smith and Succession actor Brian Cox, John Cena and Kathy Bates will star in the new political thriller The Independent.
The new film is set in the last days of the “most significant presidential election in history,” according to the news report.
Turner-Smith, who recently starred in Netflix’s Queen & Slim, will play a “idealistic young journalist” who teams up with her hero (played by Cox). According to The Hollywood Reporter, the two unearth a scheme that puts the “fate of the election, and the country, in their hands.”
Bates will play the first female presidential contender in the film, while Cena will play an independent presidential candidate.
“We’re tremendously delighted to join with Kathy Bates and John Cena on The Independent,” said Brian O’Shea of the film’s financiers The Exchange in a statement.
“Kathy’s exceptional acting skills, paired with Cena’s global appeal and ability to transform on-screen, makes them incredible additions to this film. We couldn’t be happier that they’ve signed on.”
The Independent will focus on Cena’s recent roles in The Suicide Squad and Fast & Furious 9, despite the actor previously said that he produced a lot of “poor movies” when he first started out.
The actor listed films like The Marine and 12 Rounds as examples of his less successful work, and said that making the transition from the ring to the big screen was difficult.
“I used to chastise people for not working as efficiently as the WWE. And as a young man, I failed big,” he said. “I was judgmental and I was apprehensive and I wanted to be back in the ring because I loved that immediate gratification.”
Bates was recently seen in the film adaptation of Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. He will next be seen reprising his Suicide Squad role in the upcoming HBO Max series Peacemaker. Cena has had a busy year starring in F9: The Fast Saga, The Suicide Squad and Vacation Friends.