EXCLUSIVE: Reacher’s Alan Ritchson is set to star in War Machine, the Patrick Hughes-directed and scripted action sci-fi film that will find its home with Netflix.

Lionsgate developed the script with Hughes, best known for The Hitman’s Bodyguard films. Hughes wrote the script with James Beaufort (Machine). Lionsgate set the title in a deal with Netflix.

This comes on the heels of Lionsgate announcing it has Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively reuniting for A Simple Favor 2, setting the film as a streamer title with Amazon MGM Studios.

It is part of a third facet of Lionsgate’s long term plan, which includes a direct-to-streaming business, to go with theatricals and multiplatform titles that have included Sisu and Retribution.

The film is produced by Hidden Pictures’ Todd Lieberman and Alex Young, Range Media Partners’ Rich Cook and Hughes’ Huge Film with Greg McLean (Wolf Creek). Story is by Hughes.

In the final 24 Hours of the world’s toughest selection process, a team of Army Rangers encounter a threat beyond their imagination.

Ritchson is currently in production on the action-comedy Playdate and will soon resume production on the third season of Reacher, the series based on Lee Child’s novel series that has launched quite an action career for him.

The second season topped Prime Video’s 2023 charts in terms of total viewers across all series and films globally just three days after its premiere.

Ritchson will next star as the lead opposite Henry Cavill in Guy Ritchie’s World War II film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, which Lionsgate will release theatrically on April 19.

Ritchson is also set to reprise his role as Aimes in the untitled 11th installment of the Fast and Furious franchise from Universal Pictures. Ritchson is represented by WME, Dan Spilo of Industry Entertainment, and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller. Hughes is repped by Range.