Alan Ritchson's Brutally Violent 'Reacher' Follow-Up Just Got a Massive Update

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Alan Ritchson is riding high after Reacher, and now his next big swing is officially coming into focus. The actor’s upcoming sci-fi action thriller War Machine — widely seen as his biggest Reacher pivot — has now locked in a release date of March 6, 2026, giving Netflix a clear tentpole to circle on the calendar, and if Ritchson is to be believed, this isn’t just another streaming action movie. It’s a full-blown event. Directed by Patrick Hughes (The Hitman’s Bodyguard), War Machine follows a group of elite special-ops recruits trapped in a boot camp scenario that spirals into absolute chaos when they’re forced to battle highly trained alien enemies. Yes, it’s loud. Yes, it’s violent. And yes, it sounds like gloriously unhinged B-movie chaos in the best way.

Speaking in a previous interview with Wired, Ritchson didn’t exactly downplay expectations:

“War Machine for Netflix [is coming soon.] I think, and you heard it here first, [it’s] probably gonna be the b— no, not probably. [It’s] gonna be the biggest movie that Netflix has ever had. This movie is gonna be a monster. This is the coolest thing they’ve ever made, guaranteed.”

The cast stacks up, too, with Dennis Quaid, Jai Courtney, and Esai Morales joining the fight, further cementing War Machine as a throwback, high-concept action spectacle with modern streaming muscle behind it. Plus, Ritchson alone has enough charisma to power a city, never mind lead a new action franchise for Netflix.

What Can We Expect from Alan Ritchson's 'War Machine'?

As noted above, the film was touted by Ritchson as Netflix’s “biggest movie ever,” and according to Courtney, the buzz is very real. He told Collider's Steve Weintraub, “I think that film is going to blow people away. It’s big. It’s a high concept. Alan [Ritchson]’s an absolute savage.” He went on to say:

“Pat [Patrick Hughes], I’ve been a fan of for a long time, and he’s become a good friend as well, and it was cool to go down there [to Victoria, Australia, where the film was shot]. What I really love about what he’s doing is he’s pulling these big, visionary action films into Australia and into the industry down there. I think it’s really healthy for the business down there, and it’s cool to see we have such world-class crews and locations.”

War Machine will premiere on Netflix on March 6, 2026.