There are few finer character actors around than Richard Jenkins. When he’s onscreen he elevates otherwise mediocre efforts (Eat Pray Love, The Rum Diary), adds a special dose to already excellent ensembles (Burn After Reading, Killing Them Softly) or has some fun in the genre side (Let Them In, The Cabin in the Woods). He’s now about to fill his blockbuster quota for an upcoming project, Variety reports.
Jenkins has entered talks to join his Dear John co-star Channing Tatum in the next Roland Emmerich action vehicle White House Down. Described in the vein of Die Hard and scripted by James Vanderbilt (Zodiac, The Amazing Spider-Man), the film follows a single father and Secret Service agent (Tatum) who is tasked to protect the president when baddies invade the White House with little chance of escape.
Jamie Foxx plays the president in question, with Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Wood in secret service roles, while Jenkins may join as the Speaker of the House, who is third up to take the reigns of the presidency, after the vice president. Despite the type of project, it’s always nice to hear Jenkins is taking part. Working harder than most other actors, there will be many other films featuring the actor that see release before this one, with the aforementioned Killing Them Softly this fall, along with The Company You Keep, Jack Reacher, A.C.O.D. and Liberal Arts arriving either in festivals or in theaters before year’s end.
White House Down hits theaters November 1st, 2013.