Is a decades-old project finally coming together at Netflix? According to Variety, Reacher and War Machine star Alan Ritchson is circling the lead role in Maelstrom, a film project the outlet says is a spec that was originally sold to Warner Bros. in 1993 by prolific producer Jeff Robinov, then an agent. The long-gestating feature (if you even call it that) has Carry On director Jaume Collet-Serra attached to direct.
Maelstrom aims to blow audiences away
According to the film’s official logline, the story “follows a Federal Marshal guarding the fiancée of an arms dealer seeking witness protection. Events unfold over the course of one evening as a hurricane rolls in, blocking outside communication and preventing reinforcements from arriving. Together they must fight to survive the onslaught of men working for the arms dealer, as well as the escalating elements of the natural disaster raging outside.”
Dusting off an old script
While Gregory Fitzpatrick wrote the initial draft, Mark Bianculli (How to Rob a Bank) is coming aboard to give the script a fresh set of eyes. He’ll update the characters and make any necessary adjustments to bring the concept up to speed. Variety notes that Maelstrom is on the table because Carry On was a success for the streaming giant. Carry On sat on a shelf for 11 years before Netflix’s Ori Marmur injected new life into the airport thriller with Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, and Sofia Carson leading the cast. Collet-Serra directed Carry On for Netflix, making him the perfect filmmaker to resurrect Maelstrom for the streaming platform.
Before Alan Ritchson battles a hurricane for Netflix, he’s starring alongside Owen Wilson in the Angel Studios thriller Runner. In the “race against time” action film, a former soldier (Ritchson) is thrown into a brutal time-crunch when a critical medical delivery makes him and his partner (Wilson) the target of a ruthless cartel.
Ritchson partners with Schwarzenegger
Alan Ritchson is busy as hell these days. He recently completed work on his starring role in the Adam Shankman-directed action comedy The Man with the Bag, which features Arnold Schwarzenegger as Santa Claus! The holiday action-comedy, which follows a former thief helping Santa recover his stolen magic bag, opens on December 2, 2026.
What do you think about Maelstrom making a comeback 33 years after its first draft? Is Alan Ritchson’s character capable of navigating a hurricane while trying to save the day? We’ll find out when Maelstrom comes to Netflix!
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