Ex-military, now a Capitol policeman, Cale is a father struggling to bond with his estranged daughter. And as “White House Down” begins, it looks like Cale still hasn’t quite figured it out. “But his heart is good – he’s always wanted to be his daughter’s hero,” says Tatum. “And now that he’s realizing that he can’t be that, due to mistakes he’s made, he thinks, ‘Well, she idolizes the president – if I can’t be her hero, maybe I can help protect the guy who is.’”
In the film, Cale’s just been turned down by the Secret Service – despite his heroic career, he has been deemed unqualified to protect the president. But everything will change for him when that same day, on a chance visit to the White House, the unimaginable happens: a paramilitary group attacks the building, and only Cale is in a position to protect the president.
“The thing Cale really cares about is repairing his relationship with his daughter,” says Tatum. “He’s a guy who ran away from a lot of his problems, and even though he’s stopped running now, he’s wondering if it’s too late. If it takes saving the leader of the free world to get the love and respect of his daughter, then that’s just what he’s going to have to do.”
“Cale is a very ordinary guy,” says Emmerich. “He’s one of those characters who just wants to do the right thing, but whatever he does, it’s not quite working. And then, with the events that happen in this story, he gets his chance. He has a very strong motivation, but a lot to overcome.”
For Emmerich, the feeling was mutual – the chance to work with Channing Tatum was the last piece of the puzzle that sealed the deal. “When I met him, I immediately realized that I would only make the movie with him – if he didn’t do it, I wouldn’t, either,” says the director. “I realized he was exactly that character – a very good-looking guy, but with a strong ‘everyman’ feeling about him. He’s funny and smart, he knows what he wants.”
Opening across the Philippines on July 3, “White House Down” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit https://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.