'Retribution': Release Date, Cast, Trailer, and Everything We Know So Far About Liam Neeson's Latest Action Film (2024)

Action movie villains still can't seem to figure out that messing with Liam Neeson and his children is a bad idea, as the movie star is set to return with another action spectacle this year with Retribution. Coming courtesy of the producers of Non-Stop and The Commuter, we've already seen Neeson fight terrorists on a plane in Non-Stop and battle mysterious manipulators in The Commuter. Now, the Oscar-nominated actor will be embarking on yet another high-octane adventure via another form of transportation.

Playing a struggling father of two adolescent children and a banker who has a checkered past, Neeson's character of Matt Turner begins his day normally, with his teenage son (Jack Champion) and young daughter (Lilly Aspell) in the backseat of his car. That's until he gets a phone call from a mysterious madman, who claims to have planted a bomb in Matt's car. Once this mystery bomber proves this, Matt and his kids are forced to go on a city-trekking joyride in a thriller that is part-Taken, part-Speed, and part-Die Hard with a Vengeance.

To learn more about Liam Neeson's next thrill ride, as well as its cast, trailer, release date, and more, here is everything we know so far about Retribution.

When is Retribution Coming Out?

Liam Neeson and his on-screen children are set to go on the drive of their lives by the end of the Summer, with Retribution slated to release on Friday, August 25, 2023. This will give the action film some modest competition, as the week before will also feature DC's Blue Beetle and the raunchy dog comedy Strays.

RELATED:A Particular Set of Skills: Liam Neeson's Best Movie Performances

Where Can You Watch Retribution?

As the trailer makes abundantly clear, the only way to see Retribution once it premieres on August 23 is to see it in theaters. That means if you want to see Neeson's next adventure as soon as possible, you'll need to race to the nearest cineplex as if your life depended on it. Retribution's parent company, Lionsgate, has not yet announced any plans for a VOD release or a streaming platform release at this time.

Is There a Trailer for Retribution?

The first trailer for Retribution was released on June 28th, 2023, and quickly introduces the main protagonist of Matt Turner to a world of anxiety and mayhem. The trailer opens innocently enough with Turner and his two kids taking a morning drive until he gets what he thinks is a bizarre prank call. It turns out that the prank call was no joking matter, as a nearby vehicle explodes before their very eyes. When the mysterious caller contacts Turner again, he gives the father and bankers a list of near-impossible tasks that he must complete unless he wants to blow up in his car along with his children. Whoever this bomber is, they seem to have a clear grudge against Turner, with the banker apparently having lost a significant amount of money for some very powerful people. As he does these tasks, with each one becoming more torturous than the next, Turner also becomes a suspect of local law enforcement who believe he is the bomber and has taken his own children hostage.

Who Stars in Retribution?

Front and center in Retribution's story is Liam Neeson, who has become most well-known for his various forays into the action genre despite being a very versatile actor. Neeson received his first and only Oscar nomination for his starring role in Steven Spielberg's legendary Holocaust picture, Schindler's List, where the actor brought emotion and humanity to a complicated historical figure. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Neeson also has some occasional comedic experience, with him being set to lead the upcoming reboot of The Naked Gun. Still, ever since he gained "a particular set of skills" in Taken, action has been Liam Neeson's genre of choice.

Neeson is joined by an impressive supporting cast for Retribution, including Avatar: The Way of Water star Jack Champion as Matt Turner's teenage son and Wonder Woman franchise star Lilly Aspell as Turner's younger daughter. The cast also consists of Embeth Davidtz (Army of Darkness), Matthew Modine (Stranger Things), Noma Dumezweni (The Little Mermaid), Arian Moayed (Succession), and Emily Kusche (The Island). There's a fairly good chance that one of those supporting characters is the bomber who is tormenting Matt Turner.

Related:Liam Neeson Talks ‘Marlowe,’ Playing the Hard-Boiled Private Detective, and ‘The Naked Gun’ Reboot

What is the Plot of Retribution?

The official plot synopsis for Retribution reads 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.

It's also worth mentioning that Retribution is a remake of the 2015 Spanish film El Desconocido, which is more or less the same plot. The film was also remade as a German thriller in 2018 with Don't. Get. Out!

Who is Making Retribution?

Retribution is coming to theaters courtesy of Lionsgate Studios, who have amassed an empire of big-name action franchises like The Hunger Games, The Expandables, and John Wick. The film will also be directed by someone who has more than a little bit of action movie experience, with director Nimród Antal having worked on films Armored, Predators, and Metallica Through the Never. The film will also be written by Ward Parry (Curtiz) and Christopher Salmanpour (FBI: Most Wanted).

Other members of the crew include The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe composer Harry Gregson-Williams, Jungle Cruise cinematographer Flavio Martínez Labiano, and Con Air editor Steve Mirkovich.

Are the Past Versions of Retribution Available to Watch Online?

In case you'd like to watch the film that inspired the upcoming Liam Neeson reimagining, El Desconocido is currently only available to rent or buy on VOD. You can use the link below to rent the film on Amazon Prime Video

Rent on Prime Video

Don't. Get. Out! on the other hand is not currently available to stream online.