Renny Harlin's new action thriller "The Beast" arrived in theatres on Friday, with Samuel L. Jackson playing the President of the United States and Joel Kinnaman a Secret Service agent trapped alongside him inside the presidential limousine during an attack.
The film is the Finnish director's 30th feature, and it confines most of its action to a single location — the heavily armored car — using practical techniques to make the set-piece feel large-scale.
A veteran's lament
In an interview with USA Today's For The Win, Harlin reflected on the state of the genre that made him famous with films such as "Die Hard 2" and "Deep Blue Sea". He said standalone action films have become rare as studios concentrate their investment on intellectual property and franchises, and argued there is still an audience for original, self-contained action pictures.
Beyond directing
Harlin also revealed he has started a podcast called "Harlin House", where he discusses filmmaking with fellow directors and collaborators — an extension of the mentorship role he has taken on later in his career.
With a high-profile star, a contained premise and old-school practical action, "The Beast" positions itself as exactly the kind of mid-budget theatrical picture Harlin says the industry now makes too few of.
Sources:
- USA Today For The Win: Renny Harlin on 'The Beast' and the future of action movies
The film is the Finnish director's 30th feature, and it confines most of its action to a single location — the heavily armored car — using practical techniques to make the set-piece feel large-scale.
A veteran's lament
In an interview with USA Today's For The Win, Harlin reflected on the state of the genre that made him famous with films such as "Die Hard 2" and "Deep Blue Sea". He said standalone action films have become rare as studios concentrate their investment on intellectual property and franchises, and argued there is still an audience for original, self-contained action pictures.
Beyond directing
Harlin also revealed he has started a podcast called "Harlin House", where he discusses filmmaking with fellow directors and collaborators — an extension of the mentorship role he has taken on later in his career.
With a high-profile star, a contained premise and old-school practical action, "The Beast" positions itself as exactly the kind of mid-budget theatrical picture Harlin says the industry now makes too few of.
Sources:
- USA Today For The Win: Renny Harlin on 'The Beast' and the future of action movies
