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The movie “The Family Plan 2,” starring Mark Wahlburg and Reda Elazouar and a sequel to Mark Wahlberg’s 2023 film “The Family Plan,” is now available on Apple TV. It is a family-action-comedy with something for everyone.
This movie puts Reda on Hollywood’s radar as part of the new generation of foreign Hollywood actors in the making. His rise is not coincidental as it is the result of many years of hard work at various levels. Reda was also eager to represent his Moroccan roots in a positive light through this movie.
In “The Family Plan 2,” Mark Wahlburg plays the character Dan Morgan, a former assassin who had left that part of his life behind, only for it to eventually catch up with him. It all starts when he takes his family to London to celebrate Christmas with his daughter Nina, who couldn’t make it back to the States. Upon arriving at her London apartment, Dan meets the multi-talented Omar, played by Reda Elazouar, whose existence was never revealed to Dan.
Omar is Nina’s good-looking boyfriend who speaks English and French with a British accent. As a protective father, Dan doesn’t immediately approve, but must go along for Nina’s sake; poor Omar has a mountain to climb to gain Dan’s approval. The dynamic interaction between Dan and Omar leads to many funny moments, and eventually Omar plays a crucial role in the dynamics of the entire movie.
Read also: ‘Perfectly Flawed’: US-Based Moroccan Filmmaker Explores Complex Identities
Elazouar’s landing of this role was not a fluke. It is a natural progression in his acting career, and a result of many years of honing his craft as an actor. His repertoire includes works in movies, TV, stage, and even audio work. Combined with his understanding of working on one’s image, and his physically fit appearance in this movie, he deserved to be hailed and appreciated for the visible efforts he has put into building his career.
“I received the audition while I was working on a TV show in Budapest. I hadn’t seen the first one (The Family Plan), so I watched that straight away, and then did three auditions over Zoom… in London,” he told Morocco World News in an exclusive interview when asked how he landed the role. “I auditioned yet again and tested for stunts. After that, I had a chemistry-read with Nina who plays Omar’s girlfriend. I got the call a couple of weeks later.”
Regarding preparation, Read stressed that it “was physical and I had five weeks to learn about parkour and get physically ready for my first scene.” He explained: “I had two personal trainers, a nutritionist, and a chef which helped me reach my goal. Other than that, I spoke with the director to really understand the character of Omar. Originally, Omar was written as French-Algerian, but I asked if we could change it to Moroccan as I wanted to represent my country with the opportunity I had been given. It was a privilege to be able to show that positive representation onscreen in such a big film.”
Ultimately, Reda’s solid performance elevates this movie into something special; and it’s a must see for all the family!
