Alan Ritchson has very quickly become a go-to casting choice for tough action roles since he took on the role of Jack Reacher in Prime Video’s Reacher series, based on the novels of Lee Child. His latest role will see him swapping his clean-cut mercenary confidence for something a little grimier, judging by the actor’s new sneak peek at his untitled Amazon MGM Studios Navy SEAL movie.
Filming kicked off on the new movie on January 15, and Ritchson took no time in sharing a first look of his Medal of Honor recipient Mike Thornton, who looks more Rambo than Reacher thanks to a smeared face and dirty bandanna. In his post on Instagram, Ritchson wrote, “Mike Thornton reporting for duty. Day #1 of principal. Let the madness begin.”
The movie brings Ritchson back under the direction of Patrick Hughes after their collaboration on War Machine, with production taking place in Queensland, Australia. Although details from Amazon have been scarce, the story is believed to be set in the final days of the Vietnam War and dramatizes the ordeal that led to Thornton receiving the Medal of Honor, as was documented in his published biography.
Born in 1949, retired Navy SEAL Thornton was presented with his Medal of Honor by Richard Nixon in 1973, for his actions during the conflict in Vietnam, including saving senior officer, Lt. Thomas R. Norris. There have been many Vietnam-set action movies, with glossy, over-the-top stylizing of the atrocities of war, but this new movie could well be looking to deliver something more thoughtful and realistic among its action sequences.
Alan Ritchson’s New War Movie Is One of Several New Projects
Alan Ritchson stars in Motor City Stampede Ventures
The untitled movie in which Ritchson takes on his latest role has plenty of talent involved. Alongside its lead, the movie stars Joe Cole and HOA Xuande, and behind the scenes has Rambo himself, Sylvester Stallone, among its producers. While Ritchson’s new social media post is already preparing his fans for this movie, he has several other imminent projects that they will also be watching out for.
Ritchson’s first collaboration with director Patrick Hughes, War Machine, will debut on Netflix on March 6. The movie also stars Dennis Quaid, Jai Courtney, Stephan James, Esai Morales, Keiynan Lonsdale, and Daniel Webber, and is set “During the final stage of U.S. Army Ranger selection, an elite team’s training exercise turns into a fight for survival against an unimaginable threat,” according to the official logline.
Then, of course, there is Reacher – with Ritchson set to appear in both Season 4 of the flagship show and its Frances Neagley spin-off series – and his almost dialogue-free thriller, Motor City, also coming up fast on the horizon. In short, there is plenty for Alan Ritchson fans to look forward to in the coming months, and no doubt plenty more coming beyond that.
Birthdate
November 28, 1982
Birthplace
Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA