French
DeutschGuns Up (film)
 | This article needs a plot summary. (July 2025) |
| Guns Up | |
|---|---|
 German theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Edward Drake |
| Written by | Edward Drake |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Brendan Galvin |
| Edited by | Todd E. Miller |
| Music by |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Vertical |
Release dates |
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Running time | 91 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $198,534[2] |
Guns Up is a 2025 American action comedy film directed by Edward Drake and starring Kevin James and Christina Ricci alongside Maximilian Osinski, Luis Guzmán, and Melissa Leo. The film follows Ray Hayes (James), a former cop turned mob henchman who must keep his family safe after his final job goes wrong.
Guns Up was released in the United States by Vertical on July 18, 2025, and received generally mixed reviews from critics.
Cast
[edit]- Kevin James as Ray Hayes
- Christina Ricci as Alice Hayes
- Maximilian Osinski as Antonio Castigan
- Luis Guzmán as Ignatius Locke
- Melissa Leo as Michael Temple
- Leo Easton Kelly as Henry Hayes
- Keana Marie as Siohbán Hayes
- Timothy V. Murphy as Lonny Castigan
- Joey Diaz as Charlie Brooks
- Francis Cronin as Danny Clogan
- Solomon Hughes as Ford Holden
Hassan Tarantino as caato
Production
[edit]In May 2023, Kevin James was cast in the film in the lead role.[3] Guns Up was filmed in New Jersey from June to July 2023.[4][5] The film was produced by Millennium Media.[6] James performed his own stunts during filming.[6]
During the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, director and writer Edward Drake made changes to the film's script, which he claimed were related to his role as director, not as writer. Due to rules set by the Directors Guild of America that were forbidden by the Writers Guild, Drake was ultimately expelled from the Writers Guild after a disciplinary hearing in May 2024.[5][7]
Release
[edit]In February 2025, Vertical acquired the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland theatrical distribution rights to Guns Up from Millennium.[6] The film was released theatrically in the United States on July 18, 2025.[8][9]
Reception
[edit]Box office
[edit]Guns Up was first released theatrically in South Africa on May 30, 2025, where it grossed $13,165.[2] In Mexico, the film grossed $58,046 in its opening weekend, finishing sixth at the box office during the weekend of July 6–8.[2]
Critical response
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 64% of 14 critics' reviews are positive.[10]
Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics gave the film a positive review, praising the lead performances of James and Ricci and called it "the rare action-comedy that took me by surprise."[11] In contrast, Peter Sobczynski of RogerEbert.com gave the film a highly negative review, calling it "one of those films that is so baffling that even as you are watching it, you can hardly believe that it exists" and "a total zero."[12]
References
[edit]- ^ "Guns Up (15)". British Board of Film Classification. July 21, 2025. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Guns Up". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
- ^ "Cannes: Kevin James to Star in Action-Comedy 'Guns Up' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. May 9, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ "AFM attendees keep calm and carry on amid strike, market uncertainty". ScreenDaily. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ a b "Why One Writers Guild Member, Expelled for Work During the 2023 Strike, Is Appealing the Decision". The Holllywood Reporter. April 12, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Vertical Acquires Kevin James Action Comedy 'Guns Up' From Millennium Media". Deadline. February 11, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ "WGA Seeks to Discipline Four Writers for Breaking Guild Rules During 2023 Strike". Variety. April 12, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ "Kevin James Enters His John Wick Era in New 'Guns Up' Trailer". Collider. June 24, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ "Kevin James Returns to the Action Genre (& Channels John Wick) in Guns Up Trailer". CBR. June 24, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ "Guns Up". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
- ^ "Christina Ricci Steals GUNS UP Away From Kevin James". Punch Drunk Critics. July 16, 2025. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Guns Up movie review & film summary (2025)". Roger Ebert. Retrieved July 18, 2025.