Halle Berry is set to take on a commanding role as she steps into the shoes of the U.S. President in the upcoming film adaptation of Bill Clinton’s novel, “The President Is Missing.” This exciting project marks a significant twist on the original story, with Berry portraying a gender-swapped version of the nation’s leader.

At 59, the “Monster’s Ball” actress will bring her Oscar-winning talents to this high-stakes political thriller. Not only will Berry star in the film, but she will also serve as a producer alongside Clinton and the novel’s co-author, James Patterson, adding her creative influence to the adaptation.

This cinematic endeavor follows the novel’s initial plan for a television series, which was set to feature David Oyelowo in the presidential role. However, the pandemic interrupted those plans, leading to a shift towards a feature film instead.

In this gripping narrative, Berry’s character, President Joanna Duncan, faces a dire terrorist threat that could plunge the United States into chaos. To thwart this looming disaster, she must navigate a perilous path, outsmarting her own Secret Service and making a daring escape from the White House, according to Deadline.

In the film, President Joanna Duncan (Berry) faces a terrorist threat so deadly it could plunge the US into the dark ages, and to stop it, she must first outwit her own Secret Service and escape the White House, as per Deadline. 

Berry obtained the rights to the book through her production company, HalleHolly, a partnership with Holly Jeter. The film is in development at Apple Original Films. 

Halle Berry, 59, is gearing up to play the leader of the free world after landing a role in the film adaptation of former president Bill Clinton’s novel The President Is Missing; Berry seen in 2025

The Oscar winner will produce the film alongside Clinton and James Patterson, who co-authored the 2018 novel; Clinton seen in 2025

The casting thrilled fans, with one writing, ‘she has my vote.’

Many others simply commented, ‘Madame President.’

Another person called the casting ‘iconic’ though some complained that the gender swapping was too ‘woke.’ 

Clinton combined his insider knowledge of the presidency with Patterson’s storytelling expertise to write the novel, giving readers a glimpse at the security threats leaders face. 

Clinton served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001.

In 1998, he became the second president in U.S. history to be impeached by the House of Representatives on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, stemming from his attempt to cover up his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

He was later acquitted by the Senate and completed his term.

In addition to playing the Commander-in-Chief, Berry is keeping busy with more upcoming roles.

The Oscar winner will play the President of the United States in the gender-swapped film adaptation of the book; Berry seen in 2025

The book was originally picked up by Showtime for a series starring David Oyelowo as the president, but the pandemic derailed the project; Oyelowo seen in 2024

In the film, President Joanna Duncan (Berry) faces a terrorist threat and to stop it, she must first outwit her own Secret Service and escape the White House, as per Deadline; Seen 2025

The casting thrilled fans, with one writing, ‘she has my vote’

Though some complained that the gender swapping was too ‘woke’

She is also set to star in Bad Cop, Bad Cop, an action comedy from HalleHolly and Beau Bauman, in which Berry will join Fortune Feimster and Jillian Bell. 

On the small screen, Berry is set to star in Zero F***s, a menopause-themed comedy in development at Peacock from writers Liz Kruger and Carolyn Townsend and A+E Studios.

She will also star on The Patient, a horror drama in the works at HBO.

Berry plunged into politics last month as she had strong words for California Governor Gavin Newsom, humiliating him just moments before he walked on stage at a star-studded event.

The actress angrily accused the leading Democratic contender for the 2028 presidency of ‘devaluing’ women after he vetoed a menopause bill that she had tirelessly championed.

She said that his stance made him unqualified to be the next US President, a race Newsom has said he is considering entering.

‘Back in my great state of California, my very own governor, Gavin Newsom, has vetoed our menopause bill, not one but two years in a row,’ Berry said during her appearance at New York Times’ DealBook Summit.

‘But that’s okay, because he’s not going to be governor forever, and the way he has overlooked women, half the population, by devaluing us, he probably should not be our next president either.’

Berry plunged into politics last month as she had strong words for California Governor Gavin Newsom, humiliating him just moments before he walked on stage at a star-studded event

She accused the leading Democrat (pictured) of ‘devaluing’ women after he vetoed a menopause bill that she had tirelessly championed and declared ‘he should NOT be president’

The bipartisan bill titled Menopause Care Equity Act would, if passed, have mandated comprehensive health insurance coverage for women experiencing menopause and perimenopause symptoms.

It also stipulated that the California Medical Board create a menopause-specific curriculum and would require doctors to complete ongoing menopause-related education. 

Berry has been an outspoken advocate for menopausal women since discovering in 2024 that she had been in perimenopause for 10 years but had been misdiagnosed as having Herpes.

Last year, the Hollywood star proudly declared that she was in menopause while joining a group of bipartisan senators at the U.S. Capitol to push for legislation that would allocate $275 million toward research and education for menopause.

‘The shame has to be taken out of menopause. We have to talk about this very normal part of our life that happens,’ she said at the time. ‘Our doctors can’t even say the word to us, let alone walk us through the journey.’