"Heads of State" Final Trailer: John Cena and Idris Elba Go Full Mayhem as Bickering World Leaders on the Run in This Action-Comedy from the Director of Nobody

When the President (Cena) and Prime Minister (Elba) are targeted by assassins, they'll have to work together to survive the chaos... whether they like it or not!

There are movie trailers that give away too much of the plotline, totally defeating the purpose of trying to draw in viewers. And then there are movie trailers like this one for Heads of State, the new action-packed comedy that sees John Cena and Idris Elba as two world leaders on the run from assassins, that takes things to a whole other level.

So, does this new trailer give away too much of the plot? Yes, absolutely. But it’s also very cheeky about it, poking fun with a self-aware voiceover that drops lines like, “Ah, come on! Can we do just one trailer where we don’t give everything away?”—all while gleefully showcasing explosions, car crashes, bodies flying, and shootouts turned up to 11.

But to be honest and fair, Heads of State isn’t the type of film you go into expecting intricate plot twists and deeply layered storytelling. It’s the kind of action movie where the charm lies in the banter, the over-the-top fight scenes, and watching two charismatic leads like John Cena and Idris Elba trade punches and punchlines while they figure out how to take out the bad guys before they start a war or ruin what’s left of democracy.

Heads of State is the latest action-crammed spectacle from Russian-born director Ilya Naishuller, the man who gave us the cult POV-shot, first-shooter-like sci-fi thriller Hardcore Henry, and also directed Bob Odenkirk into an action badass in the revenge thriller Nobody.

Here, Cena plays Will Derringer, a famous action movie star who used his popularity and fame to win an election and get crowned as America’s next President. The problem? While he might look like a badass on screen, he’s completely out of his depth in the real world, especially when bullets start flying for real. Enter UK Prime Minister Sam Clarke (Elba), who’s everything President Derringer wishes he was: cool, calm, and completely unfazed by chaos. He doesn’t flinch under pressure and definitely doesn’t rely on stunt doubles.

When Air Force One is shot down in an assassination attack, President Derringer (Cena) and Prime Minister Clarke (Elba) are lucky enough to survive by ejecting out of the burning plane with emergency parachutes. But now, stranded in hostile foreign territory, their only option is to reach the extraction point so their rescue teams can pull them to safety. That means they’ll have to rely on each other to survive this nightmarish day. The problem? They can’t stand each other and have zero respect for one another’s expertise… or lack thereof. But if they want to survive, they’ll have to put their egos aside, dodge bullets and bad guys, and maybe, just maybe learn to work together before the entire world goes up in flames.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas co-stars as a lethal MI6 agent assigned to extract the President and Prime Minister and shepherd them safely to the rendezvous point. Meanwhile, Jack Quaid plays a fast-talking CIA agent overseeing a hidden weapons depot, one that just might hold the firepower the duo needs to survive the day.

South African actor Sharlto Copley, who previously worked with Ilya Naishuller on his debut film Hardcore Henry, makes a guest appearance as the leader of a mercenary team sent to extract the President and Prime Minister—only to see his entire unit ambushed when the mission goes sideways fast. Copley provides the trailer’s narration, adding a certain level of self-awareness and self-deprecating humor.

Heads of State is an Amazon MGM Studios production, thus the film will be making its debut on Prime Video starting on July 2nd. So, if you need a few more explosions for your Fourth of July celebrations, this just might be the perfect fit.