#INTERVIEW: “HEADS OF STATE” – JOHN CENA, PRIYANK CHOPRA JONAS & ILYA NAISHULLER

Releasing on Prime Video Canada this Canada/July 4th holiday weekend, HEADS OF STATE delivers us us megawatt starpower and hilarity in the comfort of our homes. The Action-Comedy sees a former-Actor-turned-President of the United states (John Cena) and U.K. Prime Minister (Idris Elba) in a very public feud that could destroy their countries’ alliance. Both become the target of a very powerful enemy and will need the help of a top-of-her-game MI6 agent (Priyanka Chopra Jonas).

We are lucky to have joined a global press event with HEADS OF STATE stars John Cena, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Director Ilya Naishuller.

The Trio are asked bout the most challenging part of filming HEADS OF STATE.

Cena: The biggest hill was navigating Air Force One and making that beautiful, practical set look authentic to the action. That’s my little piece.

Chopra Jonas: I wasn’t part of Air Force One, but when I read the Script, I was like, ‘How do they attempt o achieve this?’, and we did. To me, I also loved The Beast. I love a good car chase in a movie. We shot it for a really long time. Tomatina was really fun. I was like, ‘Are we really going to the Tomatina Festival? So many set pieces in the movie. It was so much fun to do.

Naishuller: In terms of the sequence and making the pixel perfect tone, it’s the Gopnik fight in the Belarus village. John has some experience throwing people around. You need both Comedy and Action, and one can’t overshadow other. That took a lot of thinking and testing to get that perfect. But technically, I’d say it’s The Beast chase. The interiors are tough because you have four ppl flighting inside a small space. John is a big guy and then you’ve got Idris in there and there’s no space for the camera and you want the punches to feel good. Sometimes they felt a little too good.

Chopra Jonas: John actually felt it on his face!

Naishuller: John got clipped. And then we’d tease Wade Briggs who played The Chef, ‘Take three! Let’s do that again! And this time don’t punch John Cena in the face. John turned and said, ‘I’ve been hit harder by stronger people, but let’s not do that again.’.

Naishuller talks about assembling the perfect Cast for the Film.

Naishuller: I think we’d been shooting John and Idris for two-to-three weeks and then we do the train scene, which is a reintroduction of all three of them together. We’ve got the cameras and John is sleeping on train couch snoring, and Idris and Priyanka have a romantic, quiet, very reserved moment. We talked quite a bit before shooting, but the day of everyone shows-up in costume looking wonderful, Idris slides open door and Priyanka turns around and the camera starts going, and I thought ‘This is gonna be easy’.

The guys spent so much time in prep, the physical aspect, the character aspect. Again, no movie is easy to do no matter the scale, the budget, but having these three is a Director’s dream. I say that, but I have never been as professionally happy as I’ve been the last three years.

Naishuller comments on getting the tone exactly right here.

Naishuller: I love the ’80s and ’90s Buddy genre. The Movie was pitched to me as an Action-Thriller. I thought, ‘Why are you making this an Action-Thriller? Why are they ex-military?’. Let’s make them not as capable. Let’s make John’s character an ex-movie star-turned-president. So he’s got a great comedic perspective on everything. He thinks he knows what he’s doing, but doesn’t and that’s always fun. Getting tone right was a lot of thinking. I’d lay on the couch listening to a lot of music and play the Movie in my head. I have Synesthesia, seeing everything in colour. I always felt it was an orange movie, hence the title is in orange font. It’s great to have a vision and a great idea. I looked at the Credit list, there’s 2,600 people working on this movie and we were all rolling the boat to the same bountiful shore. It was not easy but not particularly hard.

Cena talks about his choice to accept his role in HEADS OF STATE.

Cena: Initially, the origin story of the Movie is the chemistry that Idris and I showed in Suicide Squad. We took a Script made for two badass guys to kick ass in a world of turmoil. Idiris and I both were honest enough to say, these characters need flaw. You have to be vulnerable enough to be able to laugh at your self. A lot of the Film is Comedy and that is the language of the world. Everyone knows how it feels to get a pie in face. The more you can lean into those moments, the broader the reach, the more the audience is entertained. I think we did a good job making the best movie, rather than ‘I want to be the toughest character’. I’d rather be the joke of the whole Movie and have world laugh, and be able to make another one.

Chopra Jonas is asked about the pressure of portraying a woman who must prove she is capable of being able to protect Heads of State.

Chopra Jonas: The Movie was very enticing from beginning. Parts like they this don’t just become, you need someone to conceptualize. The Producers, Co-Actors, Director are men, but they are Feminist men who recognize the muscle of the Film is woman. I thought it was really funny. Women are capable, but the sheer size of me between the three of us was visually hysterical. I felt really safe, taken care of and protected. They wanted to put me and my character at the front and that was very generous.

HEADS OF STATE arrives July 2, 2025 on Prime Video Canada.

#FIRSTLOOK: “HEADS OF STATE” COMING JULY 2, 2025 TO PRIME VIDEO

Heads of State premieres globally on Prime Video July 2, 2025 and today we get a new Teaser for this Action-Comedy starring John Cena, Priyank Chopra Jonas and Idris Elba!

● The film is an action-packed comedy about the U.S. President (played by John Cena) and the UK Prime Minister (played by Idris Elba), who must set aside their rivalry to thwart a global conspiracy and save the world — if they can work together.

● The film is a global adventure blending explosive action and sharp comedic banter that takes audiences on the run and for a thrilling ride.

● The film combines fast-paced action sequences and creative stunts with a heavy dose of nostalgia fit with all of the 90s charm of the golden era of buddy action comedies.

● This film is helmed by Ilya Naishuller, the filmmaker behind Hardcore Henry (2015) and Nobody (2021).

● The film features an all-star ensemble cast including Idris Elba, John Cena, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Carla Gugino, Jack Quaid, Stephen Root, Sarah Niles, Richard Coyle and Paddy Considine.

● The film reunites John Cena and Idris Elba since The Suicide Squad — but this time, they’re not trying to kill each other…probably.

ABOUT HEADS OF STATE

In the action-comedy Heads of State, the UK Prime Minister Sam Clarke (Idris Elba) and U.S. President Will Derringer (John Cena) have a not-so-friendly and very public rivalry that jeopardizes their countries’ “special relationship.” But when they become the targets of a powerful and ruthless foreign adversary—who proves more than a match for the two leaders’ security forces—they are begrudgingly forced to rely on the only two people they can trust: each other. Ultimately allied with the brilliant MI6 agent Noel Bisset (Priyanka Chopra Jonas), they must go on the run and find a way to work together long enough to thwart a global conspiracy that threatens the entire free world. The film also stars Paddy Considine, Stephen Root, Carla Gugino, Jack Quaid and Sarah Niles and is directed by Ilya Naishuller.

Directed by Ilya Naishuller

Screenplay by Josh Appelbaum & André Nemec and Harrison Query

Story by Harrison Query

Produced by Peter Safran, p.g.a. and John Rickard, p.g.a.

Executive Produced by Marcus Viscidi, Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, John Cena, Idris Elba

Starring Idris Elba, John Cena, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Carla Gugino, Jack Quaid, Stephen Root, Sarah Niles, Richard Coyle and Paddy Considine

#FIRSTLOOK: “CITADEL: DIANA” COMING TO PRIME VIDEO

Today, Prime Video announced the title of the next chapter of the Citadel Spyverse, Citadel: Diana, and revealed a first look at Matilda De Angelis (The Undoing) as the central character in the forthcoming series.

The Season One finale of Citadel, starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, drops today on Prime Video. The first series in the Spyverse global franchise wraps its first season with huge twists and nail-biting reveals, as the agents of Citadel discover the identity of the mole who brought down the agency at the hands of rival syndicate Manticore. Betrayals will be uncovered and questions will be answered, as the consequences of the finale create ripple effects that will be felt throughout the Spyverse. Following the finale episode, a post-credits teaser of Citadel: Diana reveals an exciting look at what’s to come as the Citadel Spyverse expands with the next chapter.

Citadel: Diana was locally created, produced, and filmed in Italy, with production wrapping earlier this year. The series comes from Cattleya (ZeroZeroZero)—part of ITV Studios—and showrunner and executive producer Gina Gardini, with Riccardo Tozzi, Marco Chimenz, and Giovanni Stabilini also serving as executive producers and Emanuele Savoini as co-executive producer. AGBO’s Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Mike Larocca, Angela Russo-Ostot, Scott Nemes, and David Weil (Hunters) executive produce on Citadel: Diana and all series within the global Citadel universe. Midnight Radio executive produces Citadel: Diana and all series within the global Citadel universe. 

Citadel: Diana is directed by Arnaldo Catinari and developed by Alessandro Fabbri, who is also the head writer, and wrote the series with Ilaria Bernardini, Laura Colella, Gianluca Bernardini, and Giordana Mari. As previously announced, other cast members alongside Matilda De Angelis include Lorenzo Cervasio, Maurizio Lombardi, Julia Piaton, Thekla Reuten, Daniele Paoloni, Bernhard Schütz, and Filippo Nigro.