- IMDb page: Olympus Has Fallen (2013)
- Rate: 7.2/10 total 4,527 votes
- Genre: Action | Thriller
- Release Date: 22 March 2013 (USA)
- Runtime: USA:120 min
- Filming Location: Bossier City, Louisiana, USA
- Budget: $70,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross: $30,373,794 (USA) (22 March 2013)
- Director: Antoine Fuqua
- Stars: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman | See full cast and crew
- Original Music By: Trevor Morris
- Plot Keyword: White House | Terrorist | Secret Service | Secret Service Agent | Terrorism
Writing Credits By:
Known Trivia
- Winona Ryder was the studio's first choice to play the First Lady.
- It was so hot in Louisiana during the filming of the White House tourist scenes that the Humane Society representative insisted that the German Shepherds being used as K-9 watch dogs be kept in an air-conditioned van between shoots.
- Morgan Freeman was filming the crisis room scenes in Louisiana at the height of his Internet death hoax. He often began each day of filming by serenading the extras with old jazz songs and endeared himself to the unsuspecting crew with pranks.
- Gerard Butler was once in consideration to star as CIA operative Mitch Rapp in the now-aborted film adaptation of Vince Flynn's novel Consent to Kill. The first novel that Rapp appeared in was Transfer of Power, which has an extremely similar plot to Olympus Has Fallen - terrorists seize control of the White House, and Rapp must get to the President in his bunker before the terrorists do.
- This is the third film in which 'Morgan Freeman' and Ashley Judd have appeared in together, but this is the first time that their characters do not share any screen time together. The first two films they worked together in were Kiss the Girls and High Crimes.
- While the film's choice of North Korea as the driver of the plot and source of the villains was widely viewed as prescient when a number of real-world tensions between the DPRK and the U.S. emerged in 2013, the script and production made that choice years earlier. Director Antoine Fuqua said in an interview that he did not want the film's villains to be from the Middle East, a choice he felt had been covered to the point of saturation in other films, and that North Korea was interesting to him because it was a country that was completely closed off to the outside world and therefore projected a sense of no one really knowing what it wanted or was capable of doing.
- The role of the Secret Service director was originally written for a man. Director Antoine Fuqua persuaded Angela Bassett to audition and then had the role re-written for a woman.
Goofs: Miscellaneous: There are several shots in the movie where news TV channels display "Whitehouse" instead of "White House".
Plot: Disgraced former Presidential guard Mike Banning finds himself trapped inside the White House in the wake of a terrorist attack; using his inside knowledge, Banning works with national security to rescue the President from his kidnappers. Full summary » »
Story: When the White House (Secret Service Code: "Olympus") is captured by a terrorist mastermind and the President is kidnapped, disgraced former Presidential guard Mike Banning finds himself trapped within the building. As our national security team scrambles to respond, they are forced to rely on Banning's inside knowledge to help retake the White House, save the President and avert an even bigger disaster. Written byFilmDistrict
{tab=Synopsis}
Synopsis: The film starts before Christmas at Camp David. President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) is preparing to attend a fundraiser with his wife Margaret Asher (Ashley Judd), and son Connor (Finley Jacobsen). Also on the President's security detail, is Secret Service agent, Mike Banning (Gerard Butler). Banning is on good terms with the family, sparring with Benjamin in a private boxing ring, helping Margaret deciding on earrings to wear, and on friendly terms with Connor, whom Mike has been giving tips on being a good agent.
As the group leaves the Camp for the fundraiser, the snowfall outside begins to come down harder. While Ben and Margaret ride in the Presidential Limo, Connor is riding with Mike in an SUV following them. As they near a bridge over a river near the camp, the lead vehicle in the convoy hits a deer, causing a chain reaction of vehicular damage. One Secret Service SUV plows through the side of the bridge and crashes into the waters below. The Presidential Limo ends up skidding near the edge, balancing precariously.
Mike and several other agents rush to Ben and Margaret's aid, but Margaret's door is jammed, and the limo is still sliding over the edge. Several agents attempt to try and keep the vehicle from going over, but as their attempts fail, Mike makes a split-second decision, and cuts Ben out of his seatbelt, saving him, but unable to save Margaret, who goes over the edge in the limo.
The film then cuts to 18 months later. Since that time, Mike has taken a desk job with the US Treasury, still upset regarding the Camp David incident. He is unable to concentrate when his girlfriend attempts to tell him something, and he decides they should see a movie later that evening.
Before going to work, Ben has a morning breakfast meeting with Secret Service Director Lynn Jacobs (Angela Bassett), where the topic of the Camp David incident comes up. While Mike blames himself for what happened, Lynn explains that the President knows Mike did the right thing.
A few hours later, an envoy from South Korea arrives at the White House, to speak with President Asher regarding tension along the North Korean/South Korea de-militarized zone. As talks get underway, an AC-130 flies into the outer perimeter of restricted airspace surrounding the Capitol. A pair of F-22's flank the plane and demands that it changes course, when they are gunned down by side-weaponry on the airplane.
This causes Security detail inside the White House to move President Asher to a secure bunker beneath the White House. However, Asher breaks security protocol, when he requests that the South Korean Prime Minister and his associates be taken with him.
Meanwhile, the AC-130 flies over the Capitol grounds, strafing civilians before circling over the White House, and taking out several security forces nearby.
The sounds cause Mike to take notice, and he rushes from the Treasury building towards the White House. As he does, a bus that was carrying Asian tourists suddenly explodes, and Mike notices two men with backpacks approaching the White House fence. He takes down one of the men, but the other pulls a trigger on his backpack, and the explosive inside causes the suicide bomber to disintegrate, as a hole is blown in the fence of the White House.
Gas canisters are thrown onto the lawn, as several of the tourists (actually terrorists in disguise) put on masks, and charge through the hole, firing heavy weaponry, taking out numerous agents.
After recovering from the shock of the blast, Mike makes his way through the hole, following behind the terrorists, and taking them out as best he can. He eventually makes his way to the Cochere area. He and several others just have time to duck down, as two garbage trucks pull up and block the entrances to the building. After the wheels are blown on each of them (making them vehicular barricades), a gunman in secret compartment inside opens fire, finishing off most of the rest of the agents. One of the terrorists uses an RPG to blow open the closed doorway near Mike, and he and a few others attempt to get into the building.
{tab=FullCast & Crew}As the group leaves the Camp for the fundraiser, the snowfall outside begins to come down harder. While Ben and Margaret ride in the Presidential Limo, Connor is riding with Mike in an SUV following them. As they near a bridge over a river near the camp, the lead vehicle in the convoy hits a deer, causing a chain reaction of vehicular damage. One Secret Service SUV plows through the side of the bridge and crashes into the waters below. The Presidential Limo ends up skidding near the edge, balancing precariously.
Mike and several other agents rush to Ben and Margaret's aid, but Margaret's door is jammed, and the limo is still sliding over the edge. Several agents attempt to try and keep the vehicle from going over, but as their attempts fail, Mike makes a split-second decision, and cuts Ben out of his seatbelt, saving him, but unable to save Margaret, who goes over the edge in the limo.
The film then cuts to 18 months later. Since that time, Mike has taken a desk job with the US Treasury, still upset regarding the Camp David incident. He is unable to concentrate when his girlfriend attempts to tell him something, and he decides they should see a movie later that evening.
Before going to work, Ben has a morning breakfast meeting with Secret Service Director Lynn Jacobs (Angela Bassett), where the topic of the Camp David incident comes up. While Mike blames himself for what happened, Lynn explains that the President knows Mike did the right thing.
A few hours later, an envoy from South Korea arrives at the White House, to speak with President Asher regarding tension along the North Korean/South Korea de-militarized zone. As talks get underway, an AC-130 flies into the outer perimeter of restricted airspace surrounding the Capitol. A pair of F-22's flank the plane and demands that it changes course, when they are gunned down by side-weaponry on the airplane.
This causes Security detail inside the White House to move President Asher to a secure bunker beneath the White House. However, Asher breaks security protocol, when he requests that the South Korean Prime Minister and his associates be taken with him.
Meanwhile, the AC-130 flies over the Capitol grounds, strafing civilians before circling over the White House, and taking out several security forces nearby.
The sounds cause Mike to take notice, and he rushes from the Treasury building towards the White House. As he does, a bus that was carrying Asian tourists suddenly explodes, and Mike notices two men with backpacks approaching the White House fence. He takes down one of the men, but the other pulls a trigger on his backpack, and the explosive inside causes the suicide bomber to disintegrate, as a hole is blown in the fence of the White House.
Gas canisters are thrown onto the lawn, as several of the tourists (actually terrorists in disguise) put on masks, and charge through the hole, firing heavy weaponry, taking out numerous agents.
After recovering from the shock of the blast, Mike makes his way through the hole, following behind the terrorists, and taking them out as best he can. He eventually makes his way to the Cochere area. He and several others just have time to duck down, as two garbage trucks pull up and block the entrances to the building. After the wheels are blown on each of them (making them vehicular barricades), a gunman in secret compartment inside opens fire, finishing off most of the rest of the agents. One of the terrorists uses an RPG to blow open the closed doorway near Mike, and he and a few others attempt to get into the building.
Produced By:
- Gerard Butler known as Mike Banning
- Aaron Eckhart known as President Benjamin Asher
- Finley Jacobsen known as Connor
- Dylan McDermott known as Forbes
- Rick Yune known as Kang
- Morgan Freeman known as Speaker Trumbull
- Angela Bassett known as Secret Service Director Lynn Jacobs
- Melissa Leo known as Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan
- Radha Mitchell known as Leah
- Cole Hauser known as Roma
- Phil Austin known as Vice President Charlie Rodriguez
- James Ingersoll known as Admiral Nathan Hoenig
- Freddy Bosche known as Diaz
- Lance Broadway known as O'Neil
- Sean O'Bryan known as Ray Monroe
- Keong Sim known as Lee Tae-Woo
- Kevin Moon known as Cho
- Malana Lea known as Lim
- Robert Forster known as General Edward Clegg
- Sam Medina known as Yu
- Ashley Judd known as Margaret Asher
- Mike Snyder known as News Reporter #1
- Josiah D. Lee known as Korean Pilot
- Edrick Browne known as Head Technician
- Sean Boyd known as Raptor Pilot
- Hunter Burke known as Army Tech Officer
- Aonika Laurent known as News Reporter #2 (as Aonika Marie Laurent)
- Jace Jeanes known as Sniper #1
- Sione Ma'umalanga known as Sniper #2
- Tory Kittles known as Agent Jones
- Shane Land known as Agent Davis
- Shanna Forrestall known as Mary Jane Fuller
- Ian Casselberry known as Long-Haired EMT
- Dorothy Deavers known as Mrs. Mosely
- Amber Dawn Landrum known as Nurse
- Han Soto known as Male Doctor
- Kenneth Wayne Bradley known as Crisis Room Radio Man
- Bill Stinchcomb known as Watch Officer
- Michelle Celeste known as News Reporter #3
- Met Salih known as News Reporter #4
- Darrell L. Connerton known as CIA Director
- Terry Dale Parks known as Army Commander
- Michael Stallings known as Army Lieutenant
- Elliott Grey known as FBI Assistant Director
- Hamish MacDonald known as Himself
- Lawrence O'Donnell known as Himself
- Rick Chambers known as Himself
- Scott Walker known as Male Reporter
- Catherine Shreves known as Female Reporter
Production Companies:
- Millennium Films
- Nu Image Films
- West Coast Film Partners
- Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment camera car
- Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment camera dollies
- Cineworks Digital Studios HD dailies telecine transfer (as Cineworks, La.)
- Cineworks Digital Studios film & digital lab (as Cineworks, La.)
- Digital Post Services quality assurance and world-wide servicing
- Dolby Laboratories sound mix
- Film Production Capital financing arranged and provided by
- Millennium Films funding
- Modern VideoFilm post-production services
- West Coast Film Partners funding
- Wildfire Studios post-production facilities
- Millennium Films (2013) (worldwide) (all media) (sales)
- Asmik Ace (2013) (Japan) (theatrical)
- Cathay-Keris Films (2013) (Singapore) (theatrical)
- Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2013) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- FilmDistrict (2013) (USA) (theatrical)
- Innoform Media (2013) (Singapore) (theatrical)
- Odeon (2013) (Greece) (theatrical)
- Roadshow Films (2013) (Australia) (theatrical)
- SND (2013) (France) (theatrical)
- Aurum Producciones (2013) (Spain) (all media)
- E Stars Films (2013) (China) (all media)
- Eagle Films (2014) (Non-USA) (all media) (Middle East)
- VVS Films (2013) (Canada) (all media)
Special Effects:
- NAC Co., Effects & Prop Animation (motion base)
Visual Effects by:
MPAA: Rated R for strong violence and language throughout
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Filmography links and data courtesy of The Internet Movie Database
