London Has Fallen

London Has Fallen is a 2016 American action thriller film directed by Babak Najafi and written by Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedikt, Chad St. John and Christian Gudegast. It is a sequel to Antoine Fuqua's 2013 film Olympus Has Fallen, and stars Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, and Morgan Freeman, with Alon Moni Aboutboul, Angela Bassett, Robert Forster, Jackie Earle Haley, Melissa Leo, Radha Mitchell, Sean O'Bryan, Waleed Zuaiter and Charlotte Riley in supporting roles.

Filming began on October 24, 2014, in London. A Christmas break started in November with filming resuming in February 2015. The film was released on March 4, 2016, by Focus Features under their recently revived Gramercy Pictures label.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 3.1 Casting 3.2 Filming 3.3 Score 4 Release 5 Reception 5.1 Box office 5.2 Critical response 5.3 Controversy 6 Home media 7 See also 8 References 9 External links

Plot
Pakistani arms dealer and terrorist leader Aamir Barkawi (Alon Moni Aboutboul) is discovered to be the mastermind behind several terrorist attacks around the world. Western intelligence services locate his compound, and the United States launches a drone strike against it, supposedly killing Barkawi along with his family. Two years later, Mike Banning (Gerard Butler), Secret Service agent for President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart), is expecting his first child with his wife Leah (Radha Mitchell). Meanwhile, having survived the earlier airstrike, Barkawi meets his son Kamran (Waleed Zuaiter) in Yemen, and the pair plan revenge.

Asher and Banning learn that British Prime Minister James Wilson has died. Along with Secret Service Director Lynne Jacobs (Angela Bassett), they travel to London to join other prominent world leaders for Wilson's funeral, arriving at Stansted Airport via Air Force One. As the dignitaries are arriving, several mercenaries under Barkawi's command initiate an attack, starting with a bomb that destroys the Canadian Prime Minister's limo as it passes through Trafalgar Square, killing him and his wife. Other leaders suffer a similar fate – the Japanese Prime Minister drowns when suicide bombers cause Chelsea Bridge to collapse, the French President perishes in a bomb blast on the River Thames that heavily damages Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster, the Italian Prime Minister and his wife are killed when one of Westminster Abbey's bell towers is demolished while they are touring it, and the German Chancellor is shot dead by terrorists posing as Queen's Guardsmen at Buckingham Palace. Meanwhile, Asher and the Secret Service men with him engage in a firefight outside St Paul's Cathedral, and a subsequent car chase, with terrorists disguised as Metropolitan Police and other emergency responders. Both sides suffer heavy losses before Banning, Asher, and Jacobs escape.

At their base of operations, the terrorists hack into the city's power network, shutting it down. Banning, Asher, and Jacobs head to Marine One for extraction. However, terrorists on building rooftops use Stinger missiles to take out the escorting helicopters before shooting down Marine One. The aircraft crash-lands, resulting in Jacobs being fatally wounded; she dies after making Banning promise to kill those responsible for the carnage. Banning and Asher flee into the deactivated London Underground. Asher notes that the terrorists want him captured alive so that he may be executed publicly and orders Banning to kill him if necessary to stop that from happening. Banning reluctantly agrees. As they move across the city, Banning contacts Vice President Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman) and sends the White House a message to let them know that he and Asher are heading for an MI6 safehouse in the city.

The staff at the White House receive a threatening call from Barkawi revealing his role in the plot and his desire for vengeance. They are also informed that Wilson's autopsy report detected poison in his body, revealing that he was intentionally murdered to lure the world leaders to London. With the city in lockdown, Banning and Asher reach the safe-house of MI6 agent Jacqueline "Jax" Marshall (Charlotte Riley). Jax uses her computer to determine Barkawi's involvement, and plays back a message from Trumbull confirming that they received Banning's message and are sending help. On the security cameras, the three see what is supposedly a Delta Force Team there to rescue Banning and Asher. However, Banning notices the operators aren't sweating after supposedly trekking across the city in heavy gear and deduces that they are terrorist impostors. Knowing that the terrorists must have a mole within the British government, Jax heads to Scotland Yard to coordinate with local authorities while Banning stays behind to eliminate the terrorists, aided by Asher. The pair then take an MI6 vehicle and head for the U.S. Embassy but are overturned by a garbage truck driven by the terrorists. Banning regains consciousness just in time to see Asher being abducted.

Asher is taken to a construction site in the city that serves as the terrorists' secret headquarters. There, Kamran prepares to execute Asher publicly, broadcasting the video feed live around the world. Meanwhile, Banning is found by a unit of SAS and Delta Force commandos, and the group assaults the terrorist stronghold in an attempt to rescue Asher. As millions around the world watch, Kamran brutally beats Asher before preparing to behead him with a machete. At the last moment, Banning bursts in and shoots the terrorists before engaging in a fistfight with Kamran, who manages to flee. Surrounded by more terrorists during their own escape attempt, Banning orders the SAS commander to blow up the building, jumping down a shaft to safety with Asher as the fireball kills Kamran and the remaining hostiles. Jax discovers that MI5 Intelligence Chief John Lancaster (Patrick Kennedy) is the traitor who helped Barkawi and kills him in self-defense after he refuses to be taken into custody. Some time later, Barkawi's compound is located in Yemen, where another drone strike kills him.

Two weeks after the attack on London, Banning is home spending time with Leah and their newborn child, named Lynne after his deceased boss. He sits in front of his laptop and contemplates sending his letter of resignation to Asher. On TV, Trumbull speaks regarding the recent events, leaving an inspiring message that the United States will prevail. This convinces Banning to delete the letter.

Cast
Gerard Butler as Mike Banning, a Secret Service agent and Special Agent in Charge of the Presidential Protection Division.[5] Aaron Eckhart as Benjamin Asher, the President of the United States.[5] Morgan Freeman as Allan Trumbull, the Vice President of the United States.[6] Alon Moni Aboutboul as Aamir Barkawi, an arms dealer and terrorist mastermind who is #6 on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list.[7] Angela Bassett as Lynne Jacobs, the Director of the United States Secret Service.[5] Robert Forster as US Army General Edward Clegg, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[7] Melissa Leo as Ruth McMillan, the United States Secretary of Defense.[8] Radha Mitchell as Leah Banning, Mike's wife and a nurse.[5] Charlotte Riley as Jacqueline "Jax" Marshall, a British MI6 agent.[9] Jackie Earle Haley as DC Mason, the White House Chief of Staff.[10] Sean O'Bryan as Ray Monroe, the Deputy Director of the National Security Agency.[7] Waleed Zuaiter as Kamran Barkawi, Aamir Barkawi's son and sub-commander who worked with his father in their terrorist plot.[7] Mehdi Dehbi as Sultan Mansoor, the hacker of the terrorist group and the youngest of three brothers whose life has been forever changed after a drone strike.[11] Colin Salmon as Commissioner Kevin Hazard, head of the Scotland Yard. Patrick Kennedy as John Lancaster, MI5 Intelligence Chief. He was also on Aamir and Kamran Barkawi's payroll and working with them in the terrorist plot. Bryan Larkin as SAS Lieutenant Will Davies.[12] Adel Bencherif as Raza Mansoor, Sultan's brother also part of the terrorist group. Michael Wildman as Agent Voight, a Secret Service member of the President's security detail. Andrew Pleavin as Agent Bronson, a Secret Service member of the President's security detail. Deborah Grant as Doris, Leah's mother. Clarkson Guy Williams as Leighton Clarkson, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom following the death of his predecessor, James Wilson. Penny Downie as Rose Kenter, the Home Secretary of the United Kingdom. Philip Delancy as Jacques Mainard, the President of France. Alex Giannini as Antonio Gusto, the Prime Minister of Italy. It was Giannini's last movie role before his death in October 2nd, 2015.[13][14] Nancy Baldwin as Agnes Bruckner, the Chancellor of Germany. Nigel Whitmey as Robert Bowman, the Prime Minister of Canada. Tsuwayuki Saotome as Tsutomu Nakushima, the Prime Minister of Japan.

Production
Casting

Butler, Eckhart, Freeman, Bassett, Leo, Forster and Mitchell reprised their roles from Olympus Has Fallen.[5] Production had been scheduled to begin in May 2015 in London, with Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt returning to write the script. Director Antoine Fuqua, however, did not return, due to his commitments with The Equalizer.[15] On May 1, 2014, it was announced Focus Features had acquired distribution rights to the sequel, and would release the film on October 2, 2015.[16] On August 18, 2014, it was announced that Charlie Countryman director Fredrik Bond would take over direction from Fuqua,[17] but Bond left the film on September 18, six weeks before the shooting was to begin.[18] On September 28, director Babak Najafi signed on to direct the film.[8] On October 10, Jackie Earle Haley joined the film to play Deputy Chief Mason.[10] On November 12, Mehdi Dehbi joined the film to play Sultan Mansoor, the youngest of three brothers whose life has been forever changed after a drone strike.[11]

Filming

Principal photography on the film began on October 24, 2014, in London.[7][19] Four weeks of shooting were to take place, involving actors Freeman, Eckhart, Bassett and Melissa Leo, before a break for Christmas. Gerard Butler - who had been filming Geostorm the previous October - joined the shoot later, filming scenes with Eckhart in March 2015.[20] A helicopter was seen making an expert landing in the courtyard of Somerset House, which is normally used to host London Fashion Week and summer film screenings.[21] Butler and Angela Bassett were seen filming in Somerset House.[22] Butler stated in an interview that the movie was also filmed in India and was to continue in Bulgaria.[23] The President of Bulgaria, Rosen Plevneliev, visited the set of London Has Fallen during filming at Boyana Cinema Center in Bulgaria.[24][25] Filming lasted through April 2015.[8]

Score

The music was composed by Trevor Morris, who provided the score for the first film.[26] The record was released on March 4, 2016, by Back Lot Music.[27]

Release
On May 20, 2015, Focus Features relaunched their Gramercy Pictures label for action, horror, and science fiction releases, with London Has Fallen being one of Gramercy's first titles.[1] The film was planned for an October 2, 2015, release, however, on June 12, 2015, it was announced that the film had been moved back to January 22, 2016, to avoid competition with The Martian, which swapped its original November 25 release date with Victor Frankenstein.[28][29] On July 1, 2015, the film's teaser trailer was released.[30] The timing of the release was criticized as "insensitive" by the Chair of the Tavistock Square Memorial Trust, Philip Nelson, as it coincided with the week of the 10th anniversary of the 7 July 2005 London bombings, in which 52 people were killed, and with the 2015 Sousse attacks, in which 30 British nationals were killed.[31] On September 16, 2015, the film's release was moved back again to March 4, 2016, because the studios needed more time to finish the film's visual effects.[32] The U.S. trailer was released on November 5, 2015.[33] A new theatrical poster of the film was released on January 21, 2016.[34]

Reception
Box office

As of June 2, 2016, London Has Fallen has grossed $62.5 million in North America and $133.2 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $195.7 million, against a budget of $60 million.[4] The film outgrossed its predecessor ($161 million), making both films grossed $356.7 million ($356,751,224) worldwide.

In the United States and Canada, pre-release tracking suggested the film would gross $20–23 million from 3,490 theaters in its opening weekend, trailing fellow newcomer Zootopia ($60–70 million projection) but besting Whiskey Tango Foxtrot ($10–12 million projection).[35] The film made $850,000 from its Thursday night previews and $7.6 million on its first day. It went on to gross $21.6 million in its opening weekend, finishing second at the box office behind Zootopia ($75 million).[36]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 25%, based on 166 reviews, with an average rating of 3.9/10. The site's consensus reads, "London Has Fallen traps a talented cast – and all who dare to see it – in a mid-1990s basic-cable nightmare of a film loaded with xenophobia and threadbare action-thriller clichés."[37] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 28 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[38] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale, the same grade as its predecessor.[36]

Panning the film, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. Club wrote: "A murky, brain-dead stab-a-thon packed with so many inane chases, laughable special effects, and mismatched stock footage shots that it begs to be made into a drinking game, London Has Fallen is one of those rare films that is good at absolutely nothing."[39]

Controversy

Variety described London Has Fallen as "terrorsploitation" fantasy designed to spread fear after the November 2015 Paris attacks and "ugly, reactionary fear-mongering."[40]

The film has also been called “extremely insensitive” by families of the victims of the 7/7 bombings after an early trailer was released ahead of the 10th anniversary of the attacks.[41]

Home media
London Has Fallen was released on DVD and Blu-Ray June 14, 2016.