Jean Reno is a retired World War I veteran trying to live a quiet life when his past comes back to haunt him in Tom Edmunds’s The Butler.
Léon: The Professional and Ronin actor Jean Reno is ready to take out the trash in The Butler, an upcoming action thriller from Dead in a Week: Or Your Money Back director Tom Edmunds. According to Variety, the project finds Reno dusting off a twisty revenge tale with over-the-top action and “upstairs/downstairs family drama.” Expect more casting announcements as the feature-length endeavor develops.
The Butler could become a hot ticket at Berlin’s EFM (European Film Market) festival next week, with principal photography arranged in Ireland for the early summer. As an esteemed member of the action genre’s old guard, Jean Reno is always ready to throw down in the face of danger. In The Butler, Reno plays a retired World War I commando who surrendered his fatigues for a quiet and orderly life as a family butler. Still, when mobsters disrupt his tranquil life to collect an unpaid debt, his world is ripped apart as his past returns to haunt him. Determined to defend the family who gave him a new lease on life, Reno’s Butler unleashes holy hell to protect those in the crossfire.
“With The Butler, we’re crafting something truly unique—a period action-thriller that’s equal parts Downton Abbey and Die Hard,” said Edmunds. Jean Reno brings unparalleled gravitas to the role, blending his iconic action-hero credentials with a sense of refinement and humanity that is perfect for this character.”
“Without Jean Reno, there is no revenge thriller genre. To work with him on this project is an absolute honor,” said Christopher Tuffin, a producer on The Butler.
Any action fan worth their salt knows Jean Reno as Leon from Luc Besson’s classic one-person army action film Léon: The Professional. The gritty action film stars a young Natalie Portman in her feature film debut alongside Reno, Gary Oldman, and Danny Aiello. The 1994 favorite focuses on 12-year-old Mathilda (portman), who is reluctantly taken in by Léon, a professional assassin, after her family is murdered. An unusual relationship forms as she becomes his protégée and learns the assassin’s trade. If you haven’t seen Léon: The Professional, watch it now. I’m not kidding. Go!
We’ll bring you more details about The Butler as the film develops.
