Exciting stars complete cast of action thriller '2 Guns'

MANILA, Philippines - Starring alongside Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg in Columbia Pictures' new action thriller “2 Guns” are four A-list actors with impressive credentials -- Paula Patton (“Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol”), Bill Paxton (HBO's “Big Love”), James Marsden (the “X-Men” series) and Edward James Olmos (TV's “Battlestar Galactica”).

In the film, two operatives – Bobby Trench (Washington) and Michael “Stig” Stigman (Wahlberg) from competing bureaus are forced on the run together. But there is a big problem with their unexpected partnership: Neither knows that the other is an undercover federal agent.

Baltasar Kormakur (“Contraband”) reteams directs “2 Guns” from a screenplay that is written by Blake Masters (TV's “Brotherhood”) and based on the Boom! Studios graphic novels by Steven Grant.

Paula Patton (who reunites with Washington for the first time since the 2006 sci-fi thriller, “Déjà Vu”) stars as Agent Deb Rees, Bobby’s handler at the DEA who further blurs the lines between on- and off-duty. Deb is torn between her feelings for Bobby and her desire to do right by herself. “I’ve always had a theory that the line between a crook and a good guy is a very fine one,” shares Patton. “Still, it’s challenging to work undercover and to pretend to be a crook. What is so great about `2 Guns' is that it’s rough, rugged, shoot-’em-up action with a bit of romance. But, more importantly, it also has a sense of humor about itself.”

Bill Paxton plays Earl, a honey-tongued CIA asset who is even tougher than the men he takes down. Earl is fond of preaching to his victims, meting out punishment to the “guilty, ignorant or unlucky” as he deems fit. “When I read the script, I was struck with its central theme of honor,” explais Paxton. “I liked the idea of all these supposedly honorable men who are loyal to these supposedly honorable organizations, but at the end of the day the only two men in the movie who have true honor are Bobby and Stig—because they're honorable to each other.”

James Marsden plays Lt. Cmdr. Quince, Stig’s point man in naval intelligence and permanent thorn in his side. Stig considers Quince above suspicion, but Quince might not be the straight arrow he appears. Because Quince holds Stig’s future over his head, the undercover agent bristles whenever his superior is around. Marsden explains their dynamic: “They joined the Navy around the same time, but my character shot up the ranks through the academy, aced every test. He’s a bit of a sociopath and very into his power; he’s the puppet master, the intellectual behind the plot. Quince has got his muscle behind him, but there are times when he gets his guns out and isn’t afraid to get his uniform dirty.”

Edward James Olmos stars as Papi Greco, an underworld drug warlord who is out to make Bobby and Stig regret the day they set foot on his ranch. “It’s a very well-written action-comedy between two ‘buddies’ that connects with the public,” notes Olmos. “What drew me to the story is the humoristic, but very honest, look at the contributions of different parts of the American government in the actual drug situation.”

Opening across the Philippines on Sept. 18, “2 Guns” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.