Game Of Thrones Star’s New Revenge Thriller Was Originally Written For A Man, Reveals Ballistic Star & Director

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Lena Headey, known for her role in the political world of Game of Thrones, now stars in Ballistic, a film about loss and getting even.

Chad Faust’s new film tells the story of Nance Redfield, a factory worker whose peaceful life is shattered when her son is killed in Afghanistan. Grief-stricken, Nance seeks answers and discovers the bullet that killed him was manufactured in the same factory where she works. This revelation exposes a network of deception and sets her on a dangerous quest for revenge.

Lena Headey isn’t the only star in Ballistic. The cast also features Hamza Haq (from Transplant) as Kahlil, a former interpreter who helps Nance with her mission, Amybeth McNulty (known from Stranger Things) as her daughter-in-law Diana, Jordan Kronis as Nance’s son Jesse, and Enrico Colantoni (Person of Interest) as her boss, Rick. This film marks director Faust’s return to directing after Girl, which starred Bella Thorne, and has been well-received by critics, currently holding a 69% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Before the release of the movie Ballistic, Liam Crowley from ScreenRant spoke with Lena Headey and Chad Faust. They talked about how they’d been friends for years before working on the revenge thriller. Headey shared that she had a strong sense of “trust and love” for Faust, while he explained that their friendship began after she cast him in a TV pilot she was directing, leading to a mutual appreciation for each other.

When the filmmaker shared the script for Ballistic with Lena Headey, it was initially planned as a story about a father and son, similar to the movie Death Sentence. The filmmaker had been trying to cast a specific actor in the role and asked Headey for her input. However, after reading it, Headey immediately loved the script, describing it as beautiful and unique. She then suggested changing the male character to a female, believing a mother-child dynamic would be more impactful, and the filmmaker readily agreed.

After getting to know Lena’s mother, I was struck by how different she was from what I expected. It completely changed my perspective! The strength and depth of her love were incredible – it was a powerful force. As for Lena herself, I didn’t really have a clear vision for the film until we started talking. It quickly became clear I wanted to really capture who she is as a person. She’s so playful, funny, and doesn’t take herself too seriously, but when it comes to her art, it’s like a huge, complex energy coming from deep within. It’s like there’s a whole orchestra inside her, and I want to explore every part of that creativity.

Faust Proved A “Deeply Collaborative” Director For Headey

ScreenRant asked about working with Chad, who is relatively new to directing full-length films, though he’s made some short films before. They were curious about what it was like collaborating with a newer director and if it offered any learning opportunities as an actor, given his fresh perspective.

Lena Headey praised Chad as a fantastic and collaborative director. She appreciated that he doesn’t micromanage, but instead provides a supportive and reliable presence – exactly what an actor needs. He allows creative freedom while also being there to help if you stumble, ensuring you can get back on track.

ScreenRant asked about the character’s intense emotional journey, noting she experiences everything from sadness and disbelief to explosive anger. They wanted to know how the actor approached portraying such a wide range of feelings and how they shaped the character’s emotional arc throughout the story.

The script was beautifully written – it really had everything I needed. It’s unusual to find a role where you feel you can truly build something from the material you’re given, but the writer, Chad, had already created a complete and fully realized story. As a mother myself, the story resonated deeply with me. The idea of losing a child is a parent’s worst fear, and it feels especially relevant in today’s world, particularly when sending your children to school. It was easy to connect with the emotions of the character. Plus, Jordan, who played the son, was a wonderful person – I immediately connected with him. Overall, the entire experience was a real gift.

ScreenRant highlighted a particularly striking scene in the film: when Nance receives upsetting news and breaks down in the bathtub, fully clothed and without any water running. They were curious about the reasoning behind this unusual setting, asking the actor what they thought the bathtub symbolized and what their initial interpretation of the scene was when they first read the script. They noted the scene felt like a ‘safe space’ despite the circumstances and wanted to understand the context behind that choice.

Lena Headey described a strong visual element in the scene, created by a plastic curtain that seemed to push inward, giving a sense of physical presence. She felt the location itself wasn’t important; the idea was to create a contained, almost womb-like space around the character, which she believes was a deliberate choice by the director. The curtain helped define this tangible, protective area.

Faust Wanted Ballistic To Be More Of A Personal Tale Than A Political One

It’s only your second time directing a full-length movie. You’d made some shorter films before, and it had been a while – I think your last one, Girl, was released six years ago. What was it like getting back into directing after that time? And what did you learn from your first film that you applied to this project?

Making films takes time, and while waiting for projects to come together, I focus on writing – it’s what I naturally gravitate towards. I write scripts both for my own films and for others. It’s amazing anyone would trust a first-time director, because you learn so much during the process. I’m proud of my first film, but it was also a huge learning experience. This time, I felt much more prepared, and I still learned a tremendous amount – even more than before – which I’ll carry with me to future projects. Like Dr. Dre says, I really went back to basics, worked hard, and finally got this movie done. It took a while, but sometimes that’s just what it requires.

ScreenRant asked where the idea for the movie Ballistic came from, noting there’s something special about directing a script you yourself wrote.

Chad Faust described reading an article that estimated 30% of lead exposure in returning American soldiers came from sources within the United States. This sparked an idea for him: he wanted to explore the deeply personal impact of this information, specifically on a parent. He wondered what it would feel like to realize that the work you did to provide for your child – the sacrifices of time and effort all parents make – might have inadvertently harmed them. He became interested in the complex emotions that would arise – the potential for self-blame, and the urge to deflect responsibility onto others, a tendency he sees as common today. Faust believes we all have a natural sense of justice, a desire for things to be fair, and it’s easy to immediately blame external factors when something goes wrong. However, he argues that constantly pointing fingers outward prevents us from truly understanding the situation and taking responsibility where it’s due.

ScreenRant asked about how the show balanced Nancy’s character being seen as paranoid versus genuinely trying to do the right thing. Because the audience knows what’s really happening, her early statements often come across as conspiracy theories to other characters. The interviewer wanted to know how the director and writer worked to portray that delicate balance between her suspicions and her pursuit of justice.

The story presented a challenge because I wanted to explore how online algorithms can dangerously drive someone’s beliefs, which I think is a real issue today. But I also wanted to show how these beliefs often mix with actual facts – that’s how conspiracy theories usually work. The truth and the conspiracy feed off each other, ultimately blurring the lines between what’s real and what isn’t. This blending is what I see happening in the world around us, and I wanted to reflect that danger, both in how it affects the main character and in our broader inability to know what to believe. Originally, one of the trailers had a tagline that really captured this idea: “In a world of lies, the truth is all that matters.” It perfectly summarized the film’s central theme, though the tagline was later changed.

I always ask directors this, and they usually say they just need a break after finishing a film. But, are there any upcoming projects you’re enthusiastic about? Also, you’ve written the scripts for both of your films so far. Have you ever considered directing a movie based on a screenplay written by someone else?

I previously adapted a screenplay for director Marc Forster, known for films like World War Z and Monster’s Ball. The project was called Dangerous Odds, and while I’m not sure if it’s still moving forward, it was a great experience. Currently, I’m working on a personal adaptation that’s still in the early stages, and a high-concept historical horror film. I also have three TV projects in development, two of which I’m collaborating on with Lena. One of those is a really unique dark comedy – a satirical take on Shakespeare. I have a lot of exciting things in the pipeline!

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2026-04-22 01:37