‘White House Down’ director Roland Emmerich talks American symbolism and his thriller’s message

WASHINGTON, DC – Roland Emmerich is a virtuoso when it comes to wreaking havoc on the White House.
In “Independence Day,” he stayed an alien attack on the White House. 
In “2012,” he unleashed the apocalypse on it. 
And now, in 2013, he’s turning terrorists loose on the White House, but at least he’s left the White House with a last line of defense: The President (Jamie Foxx) and an aspiring secret service agent (Channing Tatum). 
As you can tell, the actual White House remains unscathed and, in our discussion at the “White House Down” junket, Emmerich talks about his understanding of the symbolic value of the presidential residence and the seat of executive power. He also discusses the importance of the film’s undercurrent of caution regarding the military-industrial complex.
I also asked Emmerich about the impact of finally getting to do his Shakespeare conspiracy thriller passion project “Anonymous” and how it recharged his creative batteries. 
Check out the full interview above, as well as my chat with Foxx and Tatum.

“White House Down” is now in theaters.
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