On his way to becoming Hollywood’s next action star,Alan Ritchsonhas signed a deal to star in an upcomingNetflixmovie calledWar Machine. Not much is known about the film, except that it stars Ritchson alongside a notable group of action icons. However, the actor who shot to fame by starringin Amazon Prime Video’s action seriesReacherhas come out to say thatWar Machinewill be Netflix’s “biggest movie ever.” Talk about confidence.
Ritchson was featured inWIRED’s web series “Autocomplete Interview,” where he answered the internet’s most-searched questions about him. One of the most frequent questions is “What new movie is Alan Ritchson in?,” and the actor used the opportunity to talk about his upcoming feature filmWar Machine:
“Got like nine coming out, dude, it’s crazy. War Machine for Netflix. I think, and you heard it here first, probably gonna be the, no, not probably, gonna be the biggest movie that Netflix has ever had. This movie is gonna be a monster. This is the coolest thing they’ve ever made, guaranteed.”
How ‘Reacher’s Alan Ritchson Stole the Role From Another Hollywood Star
Can you actually imagine someone else doing it?
War Machineis directed by Patrick Hughes (The Expendables 3) from a script he co-wrote with James Beaufort. It stars Ritchson alongside Stephan James, Jai Courtney, Dennis Quaid, Esai Morales, and Daniel Webber, among others. Per IMDb,War Machinefollows “the final recruits of a grueling special ops boot camp who encounter a deadly force from beyond this world.” The release date still hasn’t been announced, but Netflix acquired it from Lionsgate for distribution.
TheReacherstaralso mentions his upcoming projectPlay Date, which co-stars Kevin James,Runner, co-starring Owen Wilson, andPainter, which he says “it’s like a new John Wick.” He also mentionsMotor City, which is based on a script that was blacklisted for some time, and it co-stars Shailene Woodley, Pablo Schreiber and Ben Foster. Ritchson says the following aboutMotor City: “An action movie with no dialogue that is an absolute work of art, a ’70s period piece.”
Can Alan Ritchson’s ‘War Machine’ Redeem Netflix for Critics?
Although Alan Ritchson’s star status may be enough to make some audiences ecstatic about his Netflix project, the hype that a famous actor generates hasn’t exactly worked recently for the streamer. Movies likeBack in Action, starring Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx,Kinda Pregnant,starring Amy Schumer, andThe Electric State,starring Chris Pratt and Millie Bobby Brown, have all been negatively received by critics. By this point, any help that the streamer can get will surely be appreciated, but this help can’t only come in the form of a major star. They need better stories, better performances and better directors.
Patrick Hughes’ filmography hasn’t exactly been subject to widespread acclaim, butWar Machineappears to be within his genre wheelhouse. If we add action performers like Ritchson and company, then the movie could be Netflix’s chance at redemption. One thing is for sure, it won’t be as expensive asThe Electric State, which cost $320 million to make, andit’s been hard for viewers to seewherethatamount of money could have been spent.
Source:WIRED
Alan Ritchson
