By Cassie Scannella
Staff Writer
This summer, there are several big box-office rockers coming out. Perhaps in the midst of all the Twilight hype, we can focus just long enough to realize that there are, indeed, other amazing movies being introduced that may not be so well known. One movie in this position is Killers. Killers, rated R, is set to come out June 4th although because this movie is still in-production, all dates are subject to change. It appears to be a promising movie that stars current actors and actresses. Although the first thing that may come to one’s mind is a horror flick, this is quite contrary. It is an action movie with the perfect amount of comedy! Killers stars Katherine Heigl as a suburban wife who has been happily married for three years. Everything about her and her family is normal. Her husband named Spencer is played by Ashton Kutcher. He has been hiding an enormous secret from his wife this whole time. Spencer is actually a secret assassin. He and his wife have been being followed by fellow assassins, and they are highly sought after targets.
Critics are buzzing around and saying that this movie may be a poorer version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. While these movies may have some similarities, it is safe to say that Killers still has a chance to be a success.
Katherine Heigl is currently one of the most popular female actresses. Her roles in 27 Dresses and Knocked Up show her flare for comedy. She is probably best known for her role as Dr. Izzie Stevens on Grey’s Anatomy. Grey’s Anatomy rocketed to success in the past few years, and many people genuinely appreciate Heigl’s acting career. She has been nominated for two golden globe awards, and it’s evident that she has a very successful career to date. This actress still has many more chances ahead to prove her worthiness and continue on the path to stardom.
Ashton Kutcher is known as quite the funny man. His sense of humor seems endless. Kutcher’s first real success was evident while starring in That 70s Show. He played Kelso whom was laughed at by most of the other characters. At times, his character was even seen as flat-out dumb. He was also the executive producer of Beauty and the Geek. In this show they match up typical, gorgeous women with nerdy men. These couples then have to make it through certain obstacles and other challenges. Kutcher’s life basically revolves around comedy and finding humor in everything. He also happens to be the producer of Killers, which should definitely account for the comedy aspect.
Other actors and actresses who are going to make an appearance in Killers include Katheryn Winnick, Alex Borstein, Rob Riggle, and Mary Birdsong. Winnick, a Canadian, plays Vivian. Winnick is known for her roles in many TV dramas such as Law and Order, House, CSI, and Criminal Minds. With this type of background, she will definitely be contributing to the action aspect of Killers. Borstein is known for her comedic roles and plays Mrs. Baily in Killers. She does a lot of voice-over work for Family Guy and Robot Chicken. Riggle who plays Henry is a former Marine Corps member and often stars in comedic movies. He has made an appearance in Step Brothers and The Hangover. He also appeared in one episode of The Office which most find to be very entertaining. Birdsong, who has had an active role in Reno 911, plays Jackie Vallero in Killers.
Robert Luketic, a native of Australia, is the director of Killers. He graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne, Australia. He has directed several romantic comedies such as Legally Blonde and The Ugly Truth, which coincidentally also stars Heigl. In 1998, he won the Jury Award at the Aspen Shortsfest. This was for best student comedy. Most of his work incorporates some sort of comedy while still containing a romantic or action aspect. He also holds a Young Hollywood Award in the Class Act category for Hottest Young filmmaker. Although Luketic is still rather new to the whole directing scene and isn’t as highly regarded as say, Steven Spielberg, he continually shows progress. With a few more movies under his belt, he will be able to make it in the Hollywood directing business. His movies are generally light-hearted and still capture the attention of the audience. He has also directed Monster-in-Law and Win a Date with Tad Hamilton. The latter of the two also stars Topher Grace who was in That 70s Show with Ashton Kutcher. The trend in Hollywood seems to be that certain groups stay with each other, and this is proven.
This is one new movie that should not be missed. Hopefully it can eventually get the press it deserves. So relax and enjoy an action packed comedy this June!