Veteran actor’s anti-Trump MSNBC project won’t help ‘Saints and Sinners’

Liam Neeson’s career changed forever following his 2008 smash, “Taken.”

Suddenly, the towering actor became an action hero after decades of serious screen work. He’s been cranking out genre films ever since, including the upcoming thriller “In the Land of Saints and Sinners.”

The film casts the 71-year-old as a reluctant assassin hoping to turn his life around after decades of killing. Oscar-nominee Kerry Condon (“The Banshees of Inisherin“) co-stars as an IRA terrorist.

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The project hits theaters March 29, but Neeson fans can sample some of his most recent work now. He contributed to an MSNBC podcast celebrating the 91 indictments against former President Donald Trump.

Set against an ominous musical soundtrack, Liam Neeson kicks off the podcast by reciting passages from the January 6 federal indictment in a special bonus episode of MSNBC’s “Prosecuting Trump.”

The “lawfare” attacks on Trump may be the most divisive issue of this election year. Some see the current justice system as operating with two distinct tiers – one for Republicans, the other for Democrats or garden-variety criminals.

 

Just Google “Biden Crime Family” and consider how the First Family is in little to no peril, legally speaking, despite plenty of evidence to the contrary.

Just ask Robert Hur.

People Magazine picked up the Neeson story along with Breitbart News. Other outlets will, too.

Lawfare may be part of Trump’s shocking popularity. The Biden administration’s attempts to jail Trump helped him seal the GOP primary against formidable opposition. It’s all but made him a martyr in the eyes of his most ardent supporters.

It might hold some sway with on-the-fence Republicans and independents. Trump’s current poll numbers against incumbent President Joe Biden suggest just that.

Plus, Neeson aligning himself with an anti-Trump project as his film reaches theaters could hurt its box office chances.

Neeson’s action films have tumbled at the U.S. box office in recent years.

“Retribution” (2023) – $6.9 million
“Memory” (2022) – $7.3 million
“Blacklight” (2022) – $9.5 million
“The Ice Road” (2021) – Netflix, no U.S. release
“The Marksman” (2021) – $15 million
“Cold Pursuit” (2019) – $32 million

He can ill afford another financial dud.

That means anything he does to dissuade audiences from giving “Saints and Sinners” a look will hurt the movie’s bottom line. That’s exactly what his rabidly anti-Trump MSNBC alliance does.

Neeson may loathe Trump, as many stars do. That’s fine, especially considering the political leanings of the film industry.

His timing, however, is far from perfect.

Neeson’s Anti-Trump Stance Isn’t Unusual

He’s hardly the only star to actively work against their best interests. Robert De Niro has chased his fair share of fans with his chronic anti-Trump rants.

Actor Christian Bale alienated the faith-based crowd when he described Moses as a “terrorist” while promoting his eventual box office dud “Exodus: Gods and Kings.”

Christian Bale says Moses was a freedom fighter, terrorist

 

Neeson probably has plenty of fans from Red State USA, too. They cheer on his action movie heroics and the moral clarity some, not all, his screen characters possess.

Why alienate that audience?

Many modern films are financially risky due to the box office’s unsteady rhythms. Social media and YouTube rob plenty of eyeballs from the theatrical marketplace. Some movie goers may be curious to see “Saints and Sinners” but will wait until it makes its VOD debut.

Or, they’ll catch it later on a free platform like Pluto TV or Tubi.

That means a project like “In a Land of Saints and Sinners” needs every bit of promotional juice it can muster. Neeson’s MSNBC alliance will not help.