Josh Duhamel has reteamed with director Allan Ungar for another mix of thrills and comedy withLondon Calling. Co-written and directed by theBanditfilmmaker, the movie stars Duhamel as Tommy Ward, a hitman forced to flee back to the United States after a job gone wrong in the United Kingdom, and is subsequently tasked with mentoring the awkward son of a local crime boss in the hopes of seeing his own family again. Alongside Duhamel, the ensembleLondon Callingcast includesITalum Jeremy Ray Taylor,Suitsvet Rick HoffmanandGame of Thronesvet Aidan Gillen.
Following its premiere at 2024’s Toronto International Film Festival, and ahead of its September 19 release,Quiver Distributionhas unveiled the firstLondon Callingtrailer. The video introduces viewers to Tommy, Duhamel’s down-on-his-luck-yet-charming hitman, and Julian, Taylor’s well-meaning-yet-clumsy crime boss son, and some of the misadventures intheir journey of Tommy teaching Julian “how to be a man”, including how to shoot, how to interrogate enemies, and even how to fight, while also teasing Gillen’s UK crime boss, Freddy Darby, on the hunt for the former. Check out the trailer below:
What The London Calling Trailer Means For The Movie
Duhamel Could Have Another Hit On His Hands
While there are a number of movies about a hardened man being tasked with training a seemingly weaker teenager on how to become a more self-reliant person,theLondon Callingtrailer showcases a unique new angle in the form of Tommy training Julian on how to be a hitman. There have been some films in the past to showcase how an assassin is raised to their modern-day selves, but none in the format of a buddy comedy, particularly one in which one of said main characters is considering leaving the life behind altogether.
More than just a fresh take on a classic concept, though,London Callinghas the opportunity to deliver both Duhamel and Ungar another major hit. The duo’s prior work on the 2022 biographical crime comedyBanditnot only saw Duhamel’s best reviewsas a leading man,but was also a hit on digital platforms, with Redbox revealing it to have been the most-watched original title of its release year. Check out howBanditcompares to Duhamel’s highest-rated films on Rotten Tomatoes in the chart below:
100%
88%
82%
92%
87%
74%
79%
Ramona and Beezus (2010)
71%
70%
51%
65%
50%
57%
85%
In just looking at comparisons betweentheir work onBanditand their new film, however,it does seem clear that Duhamel and Ungar are striving for a bigger go-round inLondon Calling. Where the 2022 film had the occasional setpiece, they were more from the heist genre tone than that of an action-thriller, and with the explosions, slow-motion sequences and hand-to-hand combat on display in the trailer above, it does feel like they were eager to up the ante in their reunion.
Our Take On The London Calling Trailer
Looks Like Another Crowdpleasing, Energetic Ride From The Pair
WhenBanditcame out in 2022, it truly was a welcome surprise asDuhamel turned in arguably the best performanceof his career, while Ungar also quickly became a name I was keen to look for future projects from. As such, the prospect of a reunion between the pair was already an exciting one, andLondon Calling’s trailer certainly looks to be delivering much of what I, and those who enjoyed their prior collaboration, want to see from the pair, that being an energetic thrill ride that also has an emotional center to its action.
London Calling
Cast
London Calling revolves around a hitman who, after a botched job leads him to escape the UK, finds himself having to mentor the son of his new crime boss. The film explores themes of redemption and responsibility as the hitman navigates his unexpected role.
