Despite being announced earlier this year, Alan Ritchson is no longer set to lead a new Die Hard-esque Netflix action project, 33 years in the making. Fortunately, his replacement is a legendary Hollywood icon who is continuing to fill up his schedule ahead of his highly anticipated John Wick return.
Keanu Reeves is set to officially star in the new Netflix action thriller Maelstrom, per Variety, which confirmed the news first reported by PageSix. The film is set to be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Carry-On) and follows a Federal Marshal forced to fend off an army dealer’s goons when a hurricane traps him and the fiancée of the criminal, who is seeking witness protection. Ritchson was originally cast in the lead role now occupied by Reeves, but the reason for the Reacher star’s departure has not been revealed.
With Maelstrom officially settling on a lead star, the natural next step appears to be the casting of Keanu Reeves’ co-star as the woman under witness protection. Per the plot synopsis, the duo has to “duo has to fight the onslaught of men working for the arms deal while dealing with the natural disaster outside their window.” The Die Hard-style scenario mixed with a natural disaster seems like a sure-fire win for Netflix, but the project has actually been gestating for over three decades at this point.
The spec script for Maelstrom was originally bought by Warner Bros. back in 1993. Jeff Robinov, previously an agent, was involved with the sale, and now serves as a producer on the film. The original draft by the late Gregory Fitzpatrick is now being worked on by How to Rob a Bank scribe Mark Biancull. It’s unclear when Maelstrom will get off the ground and get cameras rolling, but with Reeves and director Jaume Collet-Serra on board, it’s only a matter of time.
Keanu Reeves in John Wick: Chapter 4Lionsgate/Summit Entertainment
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As one of the biggest action stars in the world at the moment, Alan Ritchson still has plenty of exciting projects lined up despite exciting Maelstrom. The Reacher star is currently filming the show’s fifth season, which will be based on Lee Child’s acclaimed novel Make Me. After that, he is confirmed to star in the upcoming sequel to War Machine, one of Netflix’s biggest streaming hits of all time. Ritchson recently replaced Jason Momoa in the lead role of Helldivers, a live-action adaptation of the game of the same name.
It’s a jam-packed slate that may only be rivaled by Reeves himself, who has several major action projects in the works, including a new time-bending sci-fi action thriller.