Freelance: John Cena In Talks To Star In Action-Comedy From Taken Director

The "Summer of Cena" may have ended, but Big Match John isn't stopping his reign of action comedies anytime soon. As was first reported on Deadline, John Cena is currently in negotiations to star in the newest film from Pierre Morel ("Taken," "From Paris with Love," "Peppermint") an action-comedy called "Freelance." The film will be sold at the upcoming virtual American Film Market with Stuart Ford's AGC Studios. Steve Richards of Endurance Media will produce the package along with Renee Tab and Christopher Tuffin of Sentient Entertainment. Endurance is also co-financing the project with AGC while UTA and ICM handle domestic.

"Freelance" is estimated to have a $40 million budget and will star John Cena as a special forces operator who retires from the Army in order to start a family back home in the United States. After spending years of civilian life in suburbia filled with house payments, taking kids to and from school, block parties, and barbecues, Cena's character is approached with an opportunity to come out of retirement and serve as a security guard for a woman journalist tasked with interviewing a relentless dictator who may or may not have previously ordered an attack on Cena's character and his men. During the journalist's interview, a military coup breaks out and the three are tasked with surviving the elements, the military, and one another. This definitely sounds like a Pierre Morel movie.

After the success of "F9," "Vacation Friends," and "Suicide Squad," John Cena has more than proven that he's a bonafide star. Action comedies are difficult to pull off, but if his performance as Peacemaker is an indicator, Cena is looking at a fruitful career in action-comedies. Ironically, he seems to be taking up the mantle from fellow WWE Superstar Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson who appears to be pivoting to more serious fare as well as his rap side project. Cena will get a second shot with his summer hits, as he's set to appear in the upcoming "Fast and the Furious 10," the sequel to "Vacation Friends' and the "Suicide Squad" spinoff series "The Peacemaker" set to debut on HBO Max in January.

"Freelance" is due to begin production in Colombia sometime in 2022 and will serve as the feature writing debut from Jacob Lentz of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" The virtual American Film Market is scheduled to begin November 1, 2021 and "Freelance" is expected to be one of the most in-demand available action films.