Halle Berry is stepping into one of the most powerful roles of her career — literally.
Deadline exclusively reports that the Oscar winner is set to play the President of the United States in “The President Is Missing,” a feature film in development at Apple Original Films. The project is based on the bestselling political thriller written by Bill Clinton and James Patterson, which debuted in 2018 and quickly topped The New York Times bestseller list.
Berry will portray President Joanna Duncan, a gender-swapped reworking of the novel’s original lead character. The story follows a high-level national security crisis so severe that the sitting president must disappear from public view to stop a devastating attack on the country. As the threat escalates, President Duncan is forced to move without the protection of her own security detail, operating beyond the walls of the White House while the nation edges closer to chaos.
The screenplay is being adapted by Nicole Perlman and David Chasteen. Berry is producing through her HalleHolly banner alongside partner Holly Jeter. Additional producers include Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum of RK Films, with Clinton and Patterson also on board.
While “The President Is Missing” anchors her current slate, Berry’s work behind the camera continues to grow. HalleHolly, launched in 2022, focuses on complex characters and stories often pushed to the margins.
Outside of the Apple film, Berry remains attached to several television and film projects across comedy, thriller, and horror. Still, her turn as Commander in Chief stands out as a defining moment, positioning her at the center of a high-stakes political story with global consequences.
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