The Amateur, an all-new espionage thriller, introduces us to Heller (Malek), a brilliant but deeply introverted decoder for the CIA working out of a basement office at headquarters in Langley whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. When his supervisors refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible, his intelligence serving as the ultimate weapon for eluding his pursuers and achieving his revenge.
There’s something refreshing about the first trailer for The Amateur. Heller can’t fight or shoot, and nowhere in his journey does he suddenly acquire these abilities. Instead of flashy scenes of Heller taking down the bad guys with quick motion action and precision shooting skills, he can’t even shoot Lawrence Fishburne in the chest at point-blank range. “You can’t do what I do no matter how much I train you,” a disappointed Fishburne tells Heller. But what if Heller doesn’t have to be the best shooter or fighter? What if he doesn’t even have to lift a finger? What if his intelligence is his strength?
When we spoke to Malek about embodying Heller, he asked himself, ‘Could I ever do an action film? Would anybody ever believe Rami Malek is the lead in an action film? I thought, ‘Why not!’ What if it is very elegant, sophisticated, and unexpected, and he becomes an unexpected hero? We can all perhaps tether ourselves to the idea that perhaps we are. Whether we have a weapon in our hand or not, there’s a weapon that lies deep within all of us. You never know what you’re capable of, and I think that’s the explosive element of this.”
Director James Hawes agreed, “We all love a good car chase, but we love it that much more if we care about who’s inside the car, whether they’re going to escape, whether they’re going to survive. So, it’s that combination really of the environments, the guy in the middle of it all, and what his intellect is able to deliver.”
Heller is a thinker, an analyst whose intelligence practically created the software used by the CIA. He can set up traps (like a collapsing glass swimming pool) and use the best technology to decrypt and find anyone. Which is why he asks, “Do you ever account for the things I’m good at?”
Joining Malek and Fishburne are Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, Danny Sapani, and Laurence Fishburne. The screenplay is by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli based on the novel by Robert Littell. The film is produced by Hutch Parker, p.g.a., Dan Wilson, p.g.a., Rami Malek, Joel B. Michaels, with JJ Hook serving as executive producer.
The Amateur will be released in theaters nationwide April 11, 2025. To learn more about the movie, check out the trailer in the video above, and our interview with Malek and Hawes.
