John Cena for president? The WWE superstar and Peacemaker actor gets in the ring for POTUS in The Independent, a political thriller from Emmy-nominated director Amy Rice (By the People: The Election of Barack Obama). In addition to Cena, The Independent stars Jodie Turner-Smith (Star Wars: The Acolyte) as a journalist out to break “the story of a lifetime,” Brian Cox (Succession) as her soon-to-retire Pulitzer Prize-winning editor, and Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale) as Cena’s opponent, the frontrunner for first female president of the United States. Streaming November 2nd exclusively on Peacock, see a first-look clip from The Independent in the player below.
Videos by ComicBook.com
In The Independent, it’s the final weeks of the most consequential presidential election in history. America is poised to elect either its first female president (Dowd) or its first viable independent candidate (Cena). Reporting history as it’s made, an idealistic young journalist (Turner-Smith) teams up with her idol, legendary journalist Nick Booker (Cox), to uncover a conspiracy that places the fate of the election, and the country, in their hands.
The political thriller comes from Relativity Media (Fast & Furious, The Bourne Legacy, 47 Ronin), Park Pictures (Marie Antoinette, Cop Car), Anonymous Content (Spotlight, Shantaram), and NEXT Productions. Written by Evan Parter (Untold), the film’s producers include Sam Bisbee (Aisha), Theodora Dunlap (Robot & Frank), Caddy Vanasirikul (Peacock’s Meet Cute), and Ryan Cunningham (Slender Man). Cena, Turner-Smith, and Cox serve as executive producers.
Cena most recently starred in last summer’s F9: The Fast Saga, DC’s The Suicide Squad, and its James Gunn-directed HBO Max spin-off series Peacemaker. His upcoming films include the action-comedy Freelance, co-starring Alison Brie, and the live-action and animated Looney Tunes spin-off Coyote vs. Acme.
Following roles in The Last Ship and Channel 5’s Anne Boleyn series, Turner-Smith has appeared in the films Queen & Slim, Amazon and Michael B. Jordan’s Without Remorse, and Netflix’s White Noise. She’ll next star in the live-action Star Wars spin-off series The Acolyte for Disney+.
The Independent is the latest addition to Peacock’s growing library of films, including Beast, Jurassic World Dominion, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Vengeance, Brian and Charles, The Black Phone, Downton Abbey: A New Era, and The Northman. The new film is streaming November 2nd on Peacock.
