Halle Berry is about to take on one of the most commanding roles of her career — quite literally.
According to Deadline, the Oscar-winning actress has been tapped to play the President of the United States in The President Is Missing, an upcoming feature film in development at Apple Original Films. The movie is based on the bestselling political thriller written by Bill Clinton and James Patterson.
In the film, Berry will portray President Joanna Duncan, a reimagined, gender-swapped take on the novel’s lead character. The storyline revolves around a serious national security crisis that forces the sitting president to disappear from public view in order to stop a devastating attack.
As events escalate, the president must slip away from her own security team and operate beyond the walls of the White House to keep the nation from descending into chaos.
The adaptation is being penned by Nicole Perlman (Guardians of the Galaxy) and David Chasteen (CIA), with Berry producing alongside her partner Holly Jeter through their HalleHolly banner.
Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum’s RK Films are also on board as producers, joined by Clinton and Patterson, whose novel became a New York Times bestseller after its release in 2018.
The President Is Missing is just one addition to Berry’s growing list of projects, as she continues to expand her role behind the scenes as both a producer and creative force.
Founded in 2022, HalleHolly was created to spotlight layered, often overlooked characters across film and television.
Outside of her turn as POTUS, Berry has several projects lined up across different genres.
On the TV front, she’s set to star in Zero Fcks*, a menopause-focused comedy in development at Peacock. The series follows three middle-aged friends navigating a new phase of life while unexpectedly investigating the death of a woman they barely liked.
Berry has been vocal about menopause awareness, calling it a personal cause, and previously launched her Respin Health platform to help address gaps in women’s health education.
She’s also attached to HBO’s psychological horror series The Patient, based on Jasper DeWitt’s viral novella. In the show, Berry plays Josephine Todd, a notoriously challenging psychiatric patient whose case begins to unravel the doctor treating her.
On the film side, Berry is also set to appear in projects ranging from the action comedy Bad Cop, Bad Cop to thrillers like Sunburn and Parole Officer.
