Arnold Schwarzenegger is returning to the action genre for the first time in seven years, joining Oscar winner Geena Davis in “The Kellys,” a new thriller now filming in Budapest for Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video.
Written by director Brad Peyton and co-writer Tze Chun, the film follows Jack Kelly, a disgraced New York City cop whose wife, Molly, is taken hostage by terrorists inside an old armory building. To save her, Jack must join forces with the people he fears most: his own family. Mr. Schwarzenegger confirmed the production in his Pump Club newsletter, writing, “I started filming in Budapest this week. The movie is called The Kellys, and it’s very, very fun. Liam Hemsworth is in it and we are training in the same gym.”
Deadline first reported that Ms. Davis has joined the ensemble alongside Mr. Schwarzenegger, Mr. Hemsworth, Kelsey Asbille and Abby Elliott, though no details about her character have been disclosed. Amazon MGM Studios acquired the distribution rights, with the finished film bound for Prime Video.
For Ms. Davis, the role marks a long-awaited return to a genre she helped define. Her last action role came in 1996’s “The Long Kiss Goodnight,” and she previously earned her Oscar win for 1988’s “The Accidental Tourist” in the Best Supporting Actress category. In a 2020 interview, she spoke openly about experiencing ageism in Hollywood, saying she felt that once she had “a four” in front of her age, she “fell off the cliff.”
At the Bentonville Film Festival this month, Ms. Davis offered an enthusiastic preview of the project.
“My friends were asking, ’What is it about?’ I said, ’Arnold Schwarzenegger’s in it! OK. You get the idea,’” she told Deadline. “It’s a full-on action movie and very funny too and really fun.”
Mr. Schwarzenegger’s last screen release was “Terminator: Dark Fate” in 2019. “The Kellys” arrives as he also prepares a holiday outing: “The Man With the Bag,” a comedy in which he plays Santa Claus opposite “Reacher” star Alan Ritchson as a thief recruited to recover Santa’s stolen magic bag, premieres Dec. 2 on Prime Video.
This article was constructed with the assistance of artificial intelligence and published by a member of The Washington Times' AI News Desk team. The contents of this report are based solely on The Washington Times' original reporting, wire services, and/or other sources cited within the report. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Steve Fink, Director of Artificial Intelligence, at sfink@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.