Upcoming military action thriller Land of Bad features some powerhouse actors in its small cast. The film centers on young JTAC officer Kinney, who unwittingly finds himself part of a Delta Force extraction team in the Philippines, and Reaper, the USAF drone pilot who gives the team air support. Land of Bad doesn't have an announced US release date yet, but it is set to release on June 13, 2023, in Australia, where it was filmed (via Collider).
The movie is directed by William Eubank, who also serves as a producer and co-wrote the screenplay with David Frigero. Eubank has typically helmed films with sci-fi or supernatural elements, and his past directorial credits include Underwater and Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin. Land of Bad, his fifth feature film as director, is his first straight action movie. And though not many details about Land of Bad have been revealed, the movie is already drumming up buzz thanks to its starry cast.
Russell Crowe As Reaper
In the Land of Bad cast, Russell Crowe plays Reaper, the USAF drone pilot who helps the extraction team on the ground in the Philippines. Crowe has starred in a number of acclaimed movies, and was Oscar-nominated for his roles as Jeffrey Wigand in The Insider and John Nash in A Beautiful Mind. The movie that won him the Oscar was Gladiator, in which he played Maximus. Gladiator was directed by Ridley Scott and is one of five movies that Crowe and Scott collaborated on.
Crowe's other roles in Scott movies are Max Skinner in A Good Year, Richie Roberts in American Gangster, Ed Hoffman in Body of Lies, and the titular hero in Robin Hood. The actor is also known for playing Bud White in L.A. Confidential, Javert in Les Misérables, Jackson Healy in The Nice Guys, and Zeus in the MCU's Thor: Love and Thunder.
Liam Hemsworth As Kinney
Kinney, the JTAC officer who becomes part of the extraction team, is played by Liam Hemsworth. Hemsworth's first big role was Josh Taylor on the long-running Australian soap opera Neighbours, but he broke out into the Hollywood mainstream when he played Gale Hawthorne in the Hunger Games movies. Hemsworth is a versatile actor, having starred in a variety of film genres, including action movie The Expendables 2 as Billy "the Kid" Timmons, indie thriller Cut Bank as Dwayne McLaren, and rom-com Isn't It Romantic as Blake.
Milo Ventimiglia As Captain Sugar
Among the Land of Bad cast is Milo Ventimiglia as Captain Sugar, a leader of the extraction team. Ventimiglia is best known for his TV roles as Rory's bad boy love interest Jess Mariano in Gilmore Girls and family patriarch Jack Pearson in This Is Us. His most recent TV role is con man Charlie Nicoletti in The Company You Keep. In film, Ventimiglia notably starred in Rocky Balboa as the titular boxer's son, Rocky Balboa Jr., a role he would reprise in Creed II, and The Art of Racing in the Rain as Denny Swift.
Luke Hemsworth As Sergeant Abel
Sergeant Abel is the other leader of the extraction team in Land of Bad, and he's played by Luke Hemsworth. The eldest Hemsworth brother also got his start in Neighbours as Nathan Tyson. His most famous role is Ashley Stubbs in Westworld, in which he plays the Head of Security for the titular theme park. The actor also notably starred opposite brother Chris Hemsworth in Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder, in which Hemsworth played Actor Thor.
Robert Rabiah As Saeed Hashimi
Robert Rabiah plays leader of the Abu Sayyaf rebels, Saeed Hashimi, in the Land of Bad cast. Most of Rabiah's acting credits were filmed in his native Australia, and like the Hemsworth brothers, he too got his start on Neighbours, playing Spiro Pilotis. His other notable TV credits include Fat Tony & Co. as Dario Mancini and Deadline Gallipoli as Mehmet. In movies, he has played Nick in Chopper, Hakim Slimon in Face to Face, and Mohsen in Ali's Wedding.
Land Of Bad Supporting Cast & Characters
Ricky Whittle as Bishop - Bishop is played by Ricky Whittle. Prior to joining the Land of Bad cast, Whittle's had several prominent television roles, including Calvin Valentine in Hollyoaks, Daniel Zamora in Mistresses, and Shadow Moon in American Gods.
George Burgess as Cooper - George Burgess plays Cooper in the Land of Bad cast. Burgess is a professional English rugby player who last played for the Cairns Brothers in the Cairns District Rugby League. The athlete has appeared in two feature films, in Locusts as Ivan and Rising Wolf as Sergey.
Chika Ikogwe (undisclosed role) - Chika Ikogwe's Land of Bad role is currently unknown. In 2022, Ikogwe appeared in the film Unravelling as Zira and the TV series Heartbreak High as Jojo Obah.
Daniel Macpherson (undisclosed role) - Daniel MacPherson's role in the Land of Bad cast is undisclosed. Another Neighbours alumn, MacPherson played Joel Samuels on the soap opera. He is also known for co-hosting six seasons of Dancing with the Stars.
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