Milla Jovovich says Protector was the most challenging action of her career

Milla Jovovich stars in and produced Protector, playing special ops soldier and mother Nikki Halsted, who stops at nothing to save her kidnapped daughter (Isabel Myers). From director Adrian Grünberg, the film aims for a gritty, grounded tone and is pitched to fans of taut thrillers like Taken.

Jovovich says the project was personal — she felt compelled to tell the story and helped reshape the screenplay, which was originally more sprawling and even in another language, into a tighter 90-minute feature. Working with a small budget and a compressed schedule, the team condensed the material to focus on the emotional core and the urgency of the plot.

On set she doubled as a producer, assembling a close-knit crew that included longtime collaborators such as DP Vern Nobles and bringing the production to Las Cruces for a low-budget, 23-day shoot. She stayed involved through editing, scoring and color work, calling Protector the first film she’s taken “from point A to point Z” and saying she’s proud of the result.

milla jovovich, protector, nikki halsted, isabel myers, adrian grünberg, vern nobles, las cruces, low budget, 23-day shoot, 90-minute