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Remember the good ol’ days when Jackie Chan’s laugh-inducing kung fu and hilarious expressions ruled movie channels on TV all over the world? Well, it's been a while since those days, but Chan's awe-inspiring stunts remain as fresh as ever as he returns to the silver screen with a bang, starring with none other than DC’s Peacemaker and WWE legend John Cena. Their upcoming action-comedy movie Hidden Strike looks set to combine the vehicle-blasting escapes of the Fast and Furious franchise with the explosive action of Expendables, combined with the all-too-familiar buddy cop movie feel Jackie Chan is famous for. Previously known as S.N.A.F.U (also Project X and Project X-Traction), the film comes from Need for Speed director Scott Waugh.
Hidden Strike stars Cena and Chan as two former special forces veterans on a mission to escort some citizens over the appropriately dubbed "Highway of Death," which passes through Baghdad and is one of the world's most deadly roadways. The two will have to carefully transport their civilian cargo to the Green Zone, facing countless enemies, bullets, and explosions on the way. Hidden Strike marks the first on-screen collaboration between Cena and Chan, but the two action stars have also lent their voices to the upcoming animated film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem!, which will debut in theaters this August. Now without further ado, let’s have a look at the trailer, plot, cast, release date, and everything we know so far about the upcoming action-thriller Hidden Strike.
When and Where Is Hidden Strike Releasing?
Though we don't have an exact date for when the movie is scheduled to arrive, we do have an approximate release window. Hidden Strike will be released in American theatres by XYZ Films sometime in 2023. As far as we know, there has been no confirmation about the film’s release on online streaming platforms.
Who's In the Cast of Hidden Strike?
As mentioned, the film is led by Jackie Chan and John Cena, who will be playing the lead characters, Luo Feng and Chris Van Horne, respectively. Both actors are well-known for playing action-focused roles. While Chan already has superhit action comedies like Police Story and Rush Hour under his belt, Cena has also solidified himself in the genre with his roles in the Fast and Furious movies and DC’s Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad. Besides Chan and Cena, Hidden Strike will see Game of Thrones alum Pilou Asbaek in the role of the main antagonist, Owen Paddock, who seems to be the mastermind behind the oil heist. Amadeus Serafini (Summer Days, Summer Nights) plays Henry Van Horne, the younger brother of Cena's Chris Van Horne. The cast also includes Zhenwei Wang (The Karate Kid, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Minghau Hou (When We Were Young), Li Ma (Moon Man, Goodbye Mr. Loser), and Rachael Holoway (The Few).
Watch the Trailer for Hidden Strike
The Hidden Strike trailer, which was dropped on May 30, 2023, provides our first glimpse at the upcoming movie. The teaser sets up Hidden Strike’s background scenario, which is set in a not-too-distant future when oil wars have devastated the Middle East. It gives the viewers a sneak peek at the no-holds-barred action, showing vehicles strewn over the road, followed by an explosion of a satellite building, illustrating the scope of the brutality to be depicted in the movie. After that, the camera shifts to Chan and Cena in their car, where Chan's character watches Cena's character hopelessly struggle to strap his seat belt on and then teaches him how to do it correctly in Master Oogway’s style, "Slooow, and put in the hole". The trailer then continues to Mad Max-esque pursuit sequences, followed by the declaration of the “biggest oil heist” in history. Cena then goes on to give his new teammates hilarious nicknames, even if they don’t seem particularly amused by his antics.
What Is the Plot of Hidden Strike?
The plot revolves mostly around a veteran Chinese military officer turned private security contractor, played by Jackie Chan, who is dispatched to rescue workers at a Chinese-owned oil refinery. He realizes that the attack was simply part of a larger scheme to take the oil, the biggest oil heist in history that his character mentions in the trailer. He joins forces with a former American Marine, portrayed by John Cena, who now resides in Iraq and teaches orphans. The marine, however, was deceived into believing that he was trying to collect assets that had been obtained illegally in China before he discovered the reality. He initially resists teaming up with the former Chinese Commando but eventually agrees to help him rescue the captives. In the face of mercenaries, enormous explosions, and a tremendous amount of violence, the two strike up an amusing friendship with their casual banter. The official synopsis reads:
“Two ex-special forces soldiers must escort a group of civilians along Baghdad's "Highway of Death" to the safety of the Green Zone."
Chan’s interview with The Hollywood Reporter back in 2018 provides further clues about the plot, when he revealed, “In the film, both characters start off as quite normal guys, both retired military and not superheroes. At first, I think we’re opponents — I think he’s the bad guy and he thinks I’m the bad guy. But then we realize that we’re on the same side and go after the real enemy.”
Who's Behind Hidden Strike (And When Was it Filmed)?
Scout Waugh, the director of Need for Speed and The Expendables 4, is helming the production of Hidden Strike, which is written by Arash Aminel (Rise, A Private War). The film is co-produced by Jackie Chan, Joe Tam, Esmond Rene, and Hans Canosa, with XYZ Films bringing the film to the cinemas. The production of the highly anticipated movie Hidden Strike was completed towards the end of 2018, but the film failed to find a release date for unknown reasons, until now. Though film industries all over the world suffered tremendously during the COVID pandemic, with release dates for several movies being pushed further down the road, Hidden Strike seems to have had it worse than most. Hopefully, the Cena-Chan collab will be worth the wait and will prove to be an explosive hit in U.S. theaters on its arrival.