Sumith Prasad
The shooting of Daisy Ridley and Clive Owen-starrer thriller film ‘Cleaner’ is set to begin in August. However, the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike may affect the production plans, likely leading to its postponement.
The movie, set in present-day London, follows a group of radical activists who take over an energy company’s annual gala at the Shard – the tallest skyscraper in Western Europe – seizing 300 hostages in order to expose the corruption of the hosts. When an extremist decides to kill everyone in the building, an ex-soldier turned window cleaner named Joey Locke, suspended 90 stories up on the outside of the building, sets out to save those trapped inside and take down the killers, whilst also finding a way to bring the corrupt energy moguls to justice.
London, England, serves as the principal location of the film. The English capital is expected to host the production of several movies and TV shows, including ‘C. B. Strike’ season 6, ‘Mr Loverman,’ ‘Dope Girls,’ Kit Harington and Naomi Scott’s ‘Eternal Return,’ and ‘Gangs of London’ season 3, in the upcoming months. The city is also a significant location of recently released projects such as ‘Barbie,’ ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ ‘The Flash,’ ‘Secret Invasion,’ ‘Silo,’ and ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’
Martin Campbell, who is best known for directing the James Bond films ‘Casino Royale’ and ‘GoldenEye,’ is at the helm of the action thriller. The filmmaker recently completed the filming of Eva Green-starrer ‘Dirty Angels,’ which follows a group of female soldiers who set out to rescue a group of teenagers caught between ISIS and the Taliban. His other credits include ‘Memory,’ ‘The Protégé,’ ‘The Foreigner,’ ‘Green Lantern,’ ‘Edge of Darkness,’ ‘The Mask of Zorro,’ etc.
“Cleaner is a nail-biting thriller, unique and original in both its characters and its setting. Much of the film takes place on the side of the Shard – hundreds of feet up in the air – and I want the audience to be up there with Joey in a stomach-churning, vertiginous experience,” Campbell said about his film, as per Deadline. “The majority of my movies have been thrillers and Cleaner is one of the best I’ve ever read,” he added.
Ridley, who portrays Rey in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise, plays the protagonist Joey Locke. Ridley is portraying Joey after completing the filming of Neil Burger’s ‘The Marsh King’s Daughter,’ ‘Magpie,’ and Joachim Rønning’s ‘Young Woman and the Sea.’ The actress’ major credits include Rey in ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,’ ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi,’ and ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,’ Viola in ‘Chaos Walking,’ Ophelia in ‘Ophelia,’ Miss Mary Debenham in ‘Murder on the Orient Express,’ etc.
Owen is portraying his unrevealed character after playing Bill Clinton in ‘Impeachment: American Crime Story,’ Jason in ‘Lui,’ Scott Landon in ‘Lisey’s Story,’ Clay Verris in ‘Gemini Man,’ Dovidl Rapoport in ‘The Song of Names,’ Montgomery in ‘The Informer,’ Sal Frieland in ‘Anon,’ etc. Owen and Ridley had previously worked together in ‘Ophelia,’ in which he plays Claudius.
‘Cleaner’ is financed and produced by Anton, the production company that co-produced Gerard Butler’s ‘Greenland.’ Anton’s Sébastien Raybaud and Callum Grant serve as producers. “It has always been the intention to make European action-thrillers that are sophisticated, provocative, and fun at the same time. Independent films from our region with heart and identity, but which also provide a unique and accessible proposition for contemporary audiences globally. With Martin and Daisy taking lead, and a script that is so unpredictable and authentic, we have everything we need do just that,” Raybaud said about the action thriller, joining Campbell.
Read More: Best Action Thriller Movies
