Update: The cast, as usually happens, is now starting to coalesce, though slowly... Variety reports that Maggie Gyllenhaal is in talks to play one of Channing Tatum's fellow agents on the president's protection detail in White House Down.
No, we do not mean to imply that Jamie Foxx is going to be entering this November’s US Presidential election. He’s simply on the top of White House Down director Roland Emmerich’s wishlist to play POTUS in his new thriller.
Emmerich already has Channing Tatum officially aboard to play a Secret Service agent who must do his duty when a paramilitary group overcomes White House security and takes everyone inside hostage. Including, of course, the Commander in Chief, who is not best pleased to suddenly be a prisoner in his own home.
Variety reports that negotiations haven’t kicked off yet, but that Foxx is “intrigued” by the chance to play the president. We’re guessing he might want to wait to read James Vanderbilt’s script and interrogate Emmerich about his plans before he even starts up talks.
Emmerich is pushing to get Foxx, especially since his thriller will be in competition with the similarly themed White House Taken, which is set to start shooting first, with Gerard Butler starring and Antoine Fuqua directing. We’re wondering which film will end up blinking in terms of title…
Foxx, meanwhile, will next be seen in Django Unchained. Which has coincidentally just released its first trailer onto the web.