Keanu Reeves has signed on to star in “Maelstrom,” an upcoming action thriller for Netflix directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, Deadline reported on Tuesday. Reeves replaces “Reacher” star Alan Ritchson, who recently exited the project.
First reported by Page Six Hollywood and confirmed by Deadline, the film follows a U.S. marshal assigned to guard the fiancée of an arms dealer who is preparing to testify against him under witness protection. Over the course of a single night, a powerful hurricane knocks out power and communications, stranding the marshal and his charge as armed henchmen besiege their safe house.
A 33-year path to production
The project represents the revival of a screenplay with decades of history in Hollywood. The late screenwriter Gregory Fitzpatrick originally sold the spec script to Warner Bros. in 1993, during an era when studios actively sought action concepts styled after “Die Hard,” according to TheWrap. Industry trades at the time characterized the pitch as “Die Hard in a hurricane” as studios stockpiled vehicles for action icons like Sylvester Stallone, Steven Seagal and Clint Eastwood.
Fitzpatrick’s script was recently updated by screenwriter Mark Bianculli, who previously worked with Collet-Serra on a planned reboot of “Cliffhanger.” Former Warner Bros. studio chief Jeff Robinov, who originally represented Fitzpatrick as an agent when the screenplay was sold more than three decades ago, is producing “Maelstrom” alongside Tabitha Shick of Talking Pictures. Netflix executive Ori Marmur helped champion the project’s revival, TheWrap reported.
Casting shifts and packed schedules
Ritchson had previously been attached to play the lead role. His departure came without an official public reason, though TheWrap reported the exit could be tied to scheduling around a potential sequel to his Netflix feature “War Machine.” Representatives for Netflix declined to comment on the casting changes, according to Deadline.
The role adds another high-profile title to Reeves’ busy production slate following his success in four “John Wick” installments. The actor recently entered talks for an American adaptation of the South Korean crime film “The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil” for Paramount, and he is slated to reprise his voice role as Shadow in “Sonic the Hedgehog 4.” Reeves is also developing an adaptation of the forthcoming thriller novel “Kill Current” under his Two Dragonflies production company, and he will appear in director Ruben Östlund’s upcoming feature “The Entertainment System Is Down” and the sci-fi movie “Shiver.”
Production dates, supporting cast members and a targeted release window for “Maelstrom” have not yet been announced by Netflix.
