The Beast: Cast, Plot and October Release

The presidential limousine becomes the center of a national emergency in The Beast, the upcoming American action film directed by Renny Harlin and written by Umair Aleem. Samuel L. Jackson, Joel Kinnaman and Guy Burnet headline the thriller, which Aura Entertainment is scheduled to release in U.S. theaters on October 9, 2026. The official press materials list a 99-minute runtime, while the September teaser campaign has introduced its central attraction: a president who must personally take control of his escape. Release and teaser coverage.

The premise places a familiar symbol of presidential protection under extreme pressure. According to the official synopsis, an unidentified hostile militia organizes a coup against the United States, forcing the president to drive his own armored limousine. He must use the vehicle’s secret offensive systems while trying to protect his wounded Secret Service agent, reach his wife and prevent a much wider catastrophe.

A president forced to become his agent’s protector

The story’s clearest twist is its reversal of responsibility. The man normally surrounded by a security apparatus must help the professional assigned to keep him alive. That gives the vehicle more than a transport function: within the announced premise, it becomes the place where political authority and immediate physical survival collide. The personal objective of finding his wife also sits alongside the national crisis, giving the escape a family dimension without requiring the publicity material to reveal the outcome.

Samuel L. Jackson is credited simply as the president, while Joel Kinnaman plays the agent identified in the press notes as Taft. The final cast information also resolves an earlier mystery surrounding Guy Burnet: his role is credited as the Professional.

The supporting credits contain another notable detail: LaTanya Richardson Jackson plays Rosa, and Eoin Macken supplies the voice of Command. The press materials identify LaTanya Richardson Jackson as Samuel L. Jackson’s wife and recall that she directed his Broadway performance in the 2023 revival of The Piano Lesson. Their presence in the same film therefore adds another professional connection to a partnership that already extends across stage and screen.

Familiar collaborators return for a new action scenario

For Renny Harlin and Samuel L. Jackson, The Beast continues a screen history that includes The Long Kiss Goodnight and Deep Blue Sea, both highlighted in their official biographies. These earlier collaborations give the new project a concrete link to the director’s established action and suspense work. His filmography also includes Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger, placing this vehicle-centered survival premise within a career repeatedly concerned with characters under extreme pressure.

There is a second reunion within the lead cast. Joel Kinnaman and Samuel L. Jackson both appeared in RoboCop, a connection recorded in the supplied biography. The Beast brings them together around a different relationship, with a wounded protector and an endangered head of state at its center. Joel Kinnaman’s other listed credits include Silent Night and The Silent Hour, while Guy Burnet’s biography points to Oppenheimer and The Feed.

From the 2023 announcement to filming in Spain

The project’s development predates its current release campaign. It was announced in September 2023 with James Madigan attached to direct and Umair Aleem writing the screenplay. Guy Burnet’s casting followed in August 2024, and reporting in November 2024 identified Renny Harlin as the director as filming approached completion in Spain. The production history places principal photography in Madrid and the Canary Islands in October 2024. Production chronology and original trade references.

The press notes provide a more local view of that Spanish production. Their acknowledgments include Madrid Film Office, the Community of Madrid, Gran Canaria institutions, and the municipalities of Brunete and Alcorcón. The supplier credits also list action-vehicle services and virtual-production companies.

Stunt credits and synthesizers reveal the work behind the action

Some of the most revealing details sit well beyond the headline cast. The end credits identify Ricardo Rocca as stunt supervisor and coordinator, with Kiante Elam and Cali Nelle credited as doubles for Samuel L. Jackson. Dan Adams doubles Joel Kinnaman, while Ramón Álvarez is credited as Guy Burnet’s double and a stunt assistant.

The music credits offer an equally specific glimpse behind the scenes. Tuomas Kantelinen composed the original score, and the listed synthesizers include the Knifonium, Supercritical Redshift 6, Moog One and Tasty Chips GR-1. Kustaa Kantelinen receives the guitar-solo credit and is also credited with composing and performing the tracks “Chill Vibes” and “Metal Mayhem.” The soundtrack further includes “Midnight Rider,” performed by Waylon Jennings.

The Beast release plans and official teaser

Aura Entertainment’s U.S. acquisition was reported during Cannes in May 2026, preceding the September teaser and October theatrical launch. That distribution history should not be read as confirmation of a Cannes premiere or an Official Selection berth. The verified public-facing milestone for audiences is the announced U.S. cinema release, supported by both the supplied press materials and current trailer coverage. Distribution chronology.

The official teaser offers the first promotional look at the film. For now, its strongest documented hook remains straightforward: Samuel L. Jackson takes the wheel, Joel Kinnaman’s agent needs help, and the presidential limousine becomes an active part of their survival.

Synopsis:
When a militia of unidentified hostiles coordinates a coup against the U.S., the president is forced to drive the presidential limousine and unlock the full extent of The Beast’s highly classified offensive capabilities to save his injured Secret Service agent, reunite with his wife, and save the world.

The Beast
Directed by Renny Harlin
Written by Umair Aleem
Produced by Keith Kjarval, Wayne Marc Godfrey, Nicki Cortese, John Logan Pierson, Peter Berg
Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Joel Kinnaman, Guy Burnet
Cinematography : Jacques Jouffret
Edited by Alex Rodríguez
Music by Tuomas Kantelinen
Production companies : Unified Pictures, Bright White Light, Fifth Season, Film 44, QWGmire
Distributed by Aura Entertainment (United States)
Release date : October 9, 2026 (United States)
Running time : 99 minutes