Warning: SPOILERS for Heads of State!Prime Video’sHeads of Stateis a new comedic action thriller fromNobodydirector Ilya Naishuller. Released just two months after the streaming platform’sG20saw a U.S. president fend off a terrorist attack,Heads of Statefeaturesthe U.S. President, Will Derringer, and the British Prime Minister fighting to save the world after going down into enemy territory. The movie leans into the dynamic between the two characters with the help of stars John Cena as Derringer and Idris Elba as Clarke.
ScreenRant’sHeads of Statereview praised the pair, saying they were“all-in with their characters,”but they aren’t the only ones bringing the script by Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, and Harrison Query to life.NovocaineandThe Boysstar Jack Quaidadds to the movie’s laughs as Marty Comer, a CIA station chief in charge of a safe house in Warsaw, Poland. Despite the fact that he only features in one sequence, Quaid makes a memorable entrance, and exit, from the film.
ScreenRant’s Liam Crowley spoke with Jack Quaid andHeads of Statedirector Ilya Naishuller about their work on the new buddy film. Naishuller broke down the creation of one of the movie’s most memorable sequences, while formerScreenRant Coffee Chatsguest Jack Quaid shared his excitement about his role in the film. Plus, the pair talked aboutHeads of State’s big post-credit reveal.
Ilya Naishuller Explains Putting John Cena & Idris Elba In A “Tumble Dryer”
“I Did Try It First”
The bulk ofHeads of Stateis kicked off when Air Force One is boarded by hired guns and goes down over hostile land. It’s an ambitious sequence that puts its characters through quite a bit of turbulence.“I storyboard religiously,”Ilya Naishuller said, describing how the scene began,“I usually do one pass and maybe small iterations [until] it’s as good as I need it to be.For this sequence, there must have been seven or eight completely different storyboards, where you focus on that character, you focus on this, [or] you focus on that.”
“I did try it first, because I can’t ask them to get in there if I can’t do it myself.”
“I had a little bit of time,”Naishuller shared,“and I was like, ‘I’m going to keep going until I get the absolute distillation of what it needs to be.’ [It took] a lot of time thinking, and then an incredible team that can actually build this thing that is safe and can do all the stuff that it does. And then actors who are willing to go inside what is really a tumble dryer.”
Heads Of State Inspired Jack Quaid To Star In Novocaine
“This Movie Really Got The Action Bug In Me”
Jack Quaid officially became a leading man withNovocaine,the 2025 action movie which took the #1 spot at the box office over its opening weekend. But althoughHeads of Statecame out later in the year, it was actually part of the reason Quaid joined the other film.“I shot Heads of State before I shot Novocaine,” Quaid said. He joined the film because he“loved Ilya’s film Nobody–I just thought it was so incredibly well done … and [I am] also a huge fan of John and Idris and Priyanka. It just made sense.”
“I think that this movie really got the action bug in me so that I wanted to pursue it even more with stuff like Novocaine,”the actor continued,“and specifically character-based action, where you care about the action because you care about the characters.”
On the subject of characters,Heads of Statealso gave Quaid the chance to try something new:“I also never really get to play the character who’s badass or experienced or in terms of combat or action. And this was different for me in a really cool, fun way.”
Will Marty Comer Return In Heads Of State 2?
“I’d Love To Get More Of Jack In There”
Marty Comer’s fate inHeads of Stateis uncertain… at least, until the credits roll. A post-credit scene reveals that Comer is alive, well, and ready to come back for the sequel. And Naishuller is game if the opportunity arises, he said:“if [people] watch the movie and enjoy it, and Amazon feels like it makes sense to do a second one, absolutely. I’d love to get more of Jack in there [and] more of Marty.”
But even without a sequel to the action thriller, expect Naishuller and Quaid to work together again down the line.“If it’s not Heads of State 2, I will be bugging Jack to work together again,”the director shared,“because he comes in,he knows what he’s doing, he’s an incredible energy in terms of his positivity and the desire to not just be here and do a great job, but to go above and beyond.”
“When you have a talent like that who listens and wants to do better and understands the collaborative nature of the goals we’re trying to achieve,”Naishuller continued,“my job becomes really easy, and it becomes as fun as you think a directing job can be.”
Heads of State
Cast
Heads of State follows the UK Prime Minister and US President who, despite a public rivalry, must collaborate when targeted by a powerful enemy.
