Following on the heels of an expensive, ambitious sci-fi spectacle that was supposed to launch a franchise, but bombed in the U.S. and barely made back its budget worldwide (“Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets“), French filmmaker Luc Besson (still reeling from recent sexual assault allegations), has retreated to what he knows best: babes with guns, an assassin action thrillers starring sexy blondes. His latest, following 2014’s similar-feeling “Lucy” starring Scarlett Johansson, is “Anna” and yep, it features a new femme fatale that can do all kinds of fancy action tricks while barely breaking a sweat and looking drop dead gorgeous in the process.
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The film stars Helen Mirren, Luke Evans, and Cillian Murphy and his new muse is Russian supermodel and actress Sasha Luss. Here’s the official synopsis:
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Beneath Anna Poliatova’s striking beauty lies a secret that will unleash her indelible strength and skill to become one of the world’s most feared government assassins. An electrifying thrill-ride unfolding with propulsive energy, startling twists and breathtaking action, ANNA introduces Sasha Luss in the title role with a star-studded cast including Academy Award Winner Helen Mirren, Cillian Murphy, and Luke Evans.
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Besson sure knows how to craft these stylish, sexy thrillers, but one has to wonder if cancel-culture has caught up with him. Not to mention these films are starting to feel extremely dated—”Lucy” felt like it was a hit because it starred Johansson and no other reason, but perhaps time will tell. Besson’s previous assassin films include “La Femme Nikita” and “The Professional” among others.
Deadline says Lionsgate/Summit, who are releasing the film, acquired “Anna” in October of 2017, long before the allegations against Besson surfaced. While they waited to see what happened, French authorities decided not to file charges against Besson, and the studio decided to go forward with the film.
“Anna” lands in theaters June 21 which means it faces some fierce competition: Disney/Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” and Orion’s reboot of “Child’s Play.” Someone’s going to lose that battle, that’s for sure, it’s just a matter of which film.
