Forget the Force, Daisy Ridley battles goons with her bare hands in the action-packed trailer for Cleaner, which takes obvious cues from the iconic Die Hard franchise. Starring Ridley as a martial-arts-trained skyscraper window cleaner (because why not?), the unlikely hero is forced to battle a hostile takeover led by Clive Owen to save her brother. The new footage teases James Bond director Martin Campbell still got it when it comes to action, if nothing else.
The red band trailer (below) released by Quiver Distribution unpacks Cleaner for the very first time, teasing that Ridley has flipped the switch to a bonafide action hero. After starring in several dramas in recently, Ridley now turns towards a genre that will see the Star Wars actress lean into an entirely action-oriented story. Owen stars opposite Ridley’s ex-soldier as a “radical activist” who hijacks an energy company’s annual gala in order to expose them for being corrupt (an extremely reasonable and relevant cause). But things turn bloody when one of the leaders wants to enact revenge in a very brutal manner, threatening to kill everyone in the building. The story is shockingly interesting if not derivative, but let’s be honest — we’re here for Ridley to be a total badass, everything else is the cherry on top.
Cleaner stars Ridley, Owen, and Netflix’s One Piece star Taz Skylar, who plays a villain this time around. It’s unclear how wide the film’s theatrical release will be, but it is headed to theaters starting Feb. 21, 2025. Check out the official synopsis:
“Set in present-day London, a group of radical activists take over an energy company’s annual gala, seizing 300 hostages in order to expose the corruption of the hosts. Their just cause is hijacked by an extremist within their ranks, who is ready to murder everyone in the building to send his anarchic message to the world. It falls to an ex-soldier turned window cleaner, played by Ridley, suspended 50 storeys up on the outside of the building, to save those trapped inside, including her younger brother.”
‘Cleaner’ Is Just the Start for Daisy Ridley as an Action Star
Cleaner is just the start for Daisy Ridley in her transformation into an action movie star. While her upcoming Star Wars film continues to have an unspecified development status, Ridley is set to reunite with the Casino Royale director Martin Campbell for another action flick. Titled Dedication, Ridley stars as a Marine Corps commander who must use her unique training to stop a hostile takeover of a school and save hostages (sounds a bit familiar). It doesn’t seem the new, talented duo will be breaking the mold of their first collaboration anytime soon, but it’s still exciting to see Ridley already line up her next action gig before Cleaner arrives in theaters next year.
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While filming Cleaner, Ridley recounted how it felt like the “first action movie” she’d done after starring in the modern Star Wars trilogy. She made it quite clear that she is quite fond of the genre and is keen on staying in it, revealing her love for the John Wick franchise.
“And it’s really hard work, but it’s really fun because I f—ing love action movies. I love John Wick. I love car chases. I love fights. I love all of that. So, we’re starting a big fight sequence tomorrow that I’m very excited about. In terms of [choosing between] the films, no, it’s like Sophie’s Choice, I couldn’t choose which one’s cooler.”
Cleaner heads into theaters on February 21, 2025.