Liam Neeson is at it again; the Irish actor is returning for yet another action film in which he embarks on a revenge-motivated spree of violence. In his renowned 2008 thrillerTaken, Neeson follows his daughter halfway around the world after she is abducted by human traffickers. He tirelessly follows her tracks and vows revenge on those who hurt her.
His character, a former Black Ops agent,threatens the abductors with aniconicspeechthat ends with, “I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.” This bone-chilling line summarizes the arc ofTaken,and it cements Neeson’s character as a determined, protective father looking for John Wick-style revenge.
On the other hand, Neeson’s new filmRetributiondepicts the opposite ofTaken. WhereTakenhas a father seeking tofindthe assailants and his children,Retributionfollows Neeson as heevadesassailants and desperately tries to protect his children. When his family is targeted by an unknown, unhinged bomber, Neeson is left with no other choice but to engage in aSpeed-style car chase as he investigates the threat to his life.
Ahead of its August 2023 premiere, here’s everything we know aboutRetribution.
Retribution: The Plot
Theofficial plot synopsisis as follows.
When a mysterious caller puts a bomb under his car seat, Matt Turner begins a high-speed chase across the city to complete a specific series of tasks. With his kids trapped in the back seat and a bomb that will explode if they get out of the car, a normal commute becomes a twisted game of life or death as Matt follows the stranger’s increasingly dangerous instructions in a race against time to save his family.
The film follows Neeson as Matt Turner, a business mogul and hardworking father. During a normal, run-of-the-mill drive to drop off his kids at school, Matt receives a harrowing phone call. The soon-to-be killer reveals that Matt’s car is rigged to blow–the driver’s seatandthe two back seats where his children are patiently waiting.
If Matt stops driving, the car detonates. If Matt or his children shift from their seats, the car detonates. “Honey, something’s happened.” Neeson calmly relays to his wife in the trailer. “There’s a man who has put a bomb in the car. Under our seats, there are pressure triggers. We can’t get out. The car will explode.”
He is left with no choice but to follow the instructions provided by the mysterious caller as he tries to figure out who’s behind it all, and more importantly, why they are targeting his family. As the instructions become more convoluted and the threats increase in severity, Matt Turner becomes a suspect of local law enforcement, who have reason to believe that Turner has taken his children hostageand planted the bombs himself.
Matt (with law enforcement on his heels) faces skeletons from his past as he races to prove his innocence, identify his blackmailer, and get his children to safety. The trailer ends with Matt yelling, “You hurt my daughter, you son of a bitch. I will kill you,” echoing his monologue fromTaken.
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Retribution: The Cast and Crew
Retributionstars Liam Neeson(Schindler’s List, Taken), Noma Dumezweni(The Little Mermaid), Lilly Aspell(Wonder Woman),and Jack Champion(Avatar: The Way of Water).The film also features Emily Husche(The Island),Embeth Davidtz(Army of Darkness),and Matthew Modine(Stranger Things).
Retribution is directed by Nimród Antal(Servant, Predators, Armored)and based on a screenplay by Chris Salmanpour(FBI: Most Wanted)and Andrew Baldwin. The duo adaptedEl Desconocido, the Spanish film thatRetributionis inspired by, with that adaptation going on to earn eight Goya Award nominations in 2018. Salmanpour and Baldwin are also joined by writer Ward Parry(Curtiz).
The film is produced by Jaume Collet-Serra, Juan Sola, Andrew Rona, and Alex Heineman. The four are producing for Lionsgate Studios(The Expendables, John Wick, Terminator 2: Judgement Day)in conjunction with Studiocanai and Studio Babelsberg Motion Pictures.
Notably, the film has a stacked crew behind the camera. In addition to the leading actors,Retributionfeatures film composer Harry Gregson-Williams, a composer best known for his work onThe Martian, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe,andShrek.
Additionally, famed production designer David Scheunemann contributed to the project. Scheunemann is best known for his work onInglorious Basterds, Bullet Train, Atomic Blonde,andDeadpool 2.He is a consummate action-thriller production lead; his previous work speaks to his ability to stay within a curated, artistic vision while still engaging in classiccar-chase, shoot-out, action-thriller tropes.
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Retribution: The Release Date
The film will premiere exclusively in theaters on August 20, 2025.
Retribution: Everything Else
Retributionis an internationally collaborative venture between American, French, Spanish, and German studios, namely Studiocanal and Studio Babelsberg Motion Pictures. Additionally, with Liam Neeson joining forces with The Picture Company and Studiocanal inRetribution,this marks his fourth overall film venturewith the production and distribution studios afterNon-Stop, The Commuter,andUnknown.
In addition toRetribution, Liam Neeson will star inThugandIn the Land of Saints and Sinnersin the coming months.
