‘War Machine’: Alan Ritchson To Star In Sci-Fi Actioner For Lionsgate & Netflix

Alan Ritchson‘s rise to stardom will continue over at Lionsgate. Deadline reports that the “Reacher” actor will star in an upcoming sci-fi actioner from the studio written and helmed by Patrick Hughes.

Audiences may recognize Hughes’ name from the credits of the “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” movie. “Machine” scribe James Beaufort co-pens the script with Hughes, currently titled “War Machine.”

What’s more: Lionsgate will release “War Machine” on Netflix. That makes the upcoming film the second announced film for Lionsgate this week that’ll premiere direct-to-streaming; “A Simple Favor 2” for Prime Video is the other one.

Todd Lieberman and Alex Young will produce “War Machine” through Hidden Pictures, while Rich Cook does so through Range Media Partners and Greg McLean through Hughes’ Huge Film.

So what’s “War Machine” about? There’s no official logline yet, but the story revolves around a team of Army Rangers who face off against a deadly threat on the final day of the world’s toughest selection process. Could that be aliens?

The sci-fi aspect makes it likely, but the “final countdown” and gladiatorial elements of the premise also invoke stuff like “Edge Of Tomorrow,” “The Running Man,” and even “Predator.” So yeah, “War Machine” could go in several possible directions, but let’s not speculate too much yet.

In any case, the Lionsgate/Netflix film is another action vehicle for Ritchson. The actor is already prepping for “Reacher” Season 3, but he has other projects, all actioners, in the pipeline too. He’ll star next in Guy Ritchie‘s “The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” in theaters April 19.

After that, he stars in the 11th film in the “Fast And Furious” franchise. And then there’s the action-comedy “Playdate,” which Ritchson is shooting now before production on “Reacher” S3. But action isn’t the only thing Ritchson can do; he also starred in the Lionsgate faith-based drama “Ordinary Angels” in February.

But “War Machine” solidifies Ritchson star power beyond the likes of “Reacher,” and may make him an action star for the streaming generation. Whether he’s the next Bruce Willis or Jason Statham remains to be seen, however.