WSVN — Gerard Butler is hoping to rebound from "Gods of Egypt" by immediately putting out another movie this weekend: "London Has Fallen," the sequel to "Olympus Has Fallen." Deco’s Chris Van Vliet sat down with the cast for a very "hands-on" interview.
In 2013, Olympus had fallen. Terrorists attacked the White House, and it was up to Gerard Butler to get the president to safety.
Fast forward three years, and there’s an even bigger attack, this time in London.
Gerard Butler is back as Secret Service Agent Mike Banning, and he says the plan from the start was to outdo the first movie.
Gerard Butler: "It was constantly, ‘How can we make this better? How can we make the whole scenario better? How can we work on the characters so you know them more, you care for them more deeply? How can we put them in the worst imaginable situations?’"
Aaron Eckhart is now in his second term as President Asher, a commander in chief who’s not afraid to take on the bad guys.
Aaron Eckhart (as President Benjamin Asher): "You don’t let them take me. This comes to it, I want you to kill me. That’s an order."
Chris Van Vliet: "When you get cast as the president, do you go, ‘They think I’m presidential?’"
Aaron: "No. (laughs) Well, I always think they didn’t get some other guy. I also like the idea of playing a president that I like, which is one that has honor and truthfulness and integrity and courage."
His right-hand man, the vice president, played by Morgan Freeman, is put in charge when the president gets kidnapped.
Chris Van Vliet: "You’re in an action movie, but you’re not in the action. Do you want to be in the middle of the action?"
Morgan Freeman: "Nope. nope. It’s entirely too much work. It really is. It’s very very exhausting to be in an action movie. I’ve got wounds all over my body from action, so I’ve been, there done that, had enough.
Morgan Freeman might be on to something. The action here is much bigger than last time.
Chris Van Vliet: "When you’re not shooting someone or stabbing someone, you’re punching someone, and it always looks so incredibly natural, and I’m wondering if right now, if you can teach me the secret to a movie punch."
Gerard Butler: "OK, you ready? I’m going to come to about here.." (punch!)
Looks real? That’s because it was real — a real movie punch.
"London Has Fallen" opens in theaters Friday, March 4.