It’s been a minute since the days ofBlue Mountain State, meaning thatAlan Ritchsonis now best known for his portrayal of the eponymous hulking drifter on Amazon Prime’sReacher. Serving as the live-action figurehead for Lee Child’s best-sellingJack Reacherbook series, Ritchson has done what Tom Cruise could not, with his casting and performance receiving near-universal praise. The American’s success onReacherhas opened further doors for him, a state of affairs that has seen him recently cast in high-profile blockbusters likeFast XandThe Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
However, he’s clearly far from done. In addition to future television work as Child’s iconic character in upcoming seasons ofReacherand its spin-offs, the actor has also been confirmed to have multiple exciting film projects in the pipeline, encompassing a wide array of genres and premises. While many of these names are currently in the early stages of production, the actor is currently slated to appear in no fewer thaneleven upcoming movies and television shows, meaning that Ritchson is set to retain an exceedingly hectic schedule for the foreseeable future.
11Fast & Furious 11
Movie (2026)
Touted as the conclusive chapter in the long-running and wildly successfulFast & Furiousmovie franchise,Fast 11was originally scheduled for release this year before being delayed until 2026 due to the Hollywood writer’s strike. However, this loose date could get pushed back even further if Alan Ritchson’s comments surrounding filming are to be believed, with the actor recently alluding to the logistical difficulties associated with uniting the movie’s star-studded cast.
Introduced as the duplicitous villain Aimes in the series' most recent installment, 2023’sFast X, Ritchson’s charge hasn’t even been expressly confirmed to be returning. With that being said, the actor’s comments would indicate that his sophomore appearance is all but guaranteed whenFast & Furiousduly makes its comeback.
10The Man With The Bag
Movie (TBD)
Pitting the new generation of hulking action stars against the man who represented cinema’s long-time gold standard, the upcoming Christmas action-comedy,The Man with the Bag,is set to star Ritchson alongside cinematic icon Arnold Schwarzenegger. First announced in 2023, the first ballotsci-fi Hall of Famerwill portray Santa Claus in an outlandish plot that sees him forced to enlist the help of Ritchson’s petty criminal,Vance, after his sack of presents gets stolen.
Likely to be a family-friendly outing based on its lighthearted premise, the movie boasts an ensemble supporting cast that also includes the likes of Awkafina and Ken Jeong. No trailer or release date has been given forThe Man with the Bag, although it’s been made clear by Amazon MGM that the movie won’t be dropping in 2025. In light of this development, don’t be surprised if the Ritchson-led effort doesn’t debut until 2026.
9Playdate
Featuring Ritchson alongsideHere Comes the Boomstar Kevin James in the leading roles,Playdatesounds like another opportunity for the actor to flex what were once-trademark comedic muscles, thanks to his iconic role as Thad Castle onBlue Mountain State. First announced in 2024, Luke Greenfield’s upcoming action-comedy features an ensemble cast featuring the likes of Sarah Chalke,Alan Tudyk, and Isla Fisher.
Despite no trailer, a few details have still been alluded to. Written by Neil Goldman, the film is set to revolve around the leading duo’s stay-at-home dads, afterRitchson’s charge is revealed to be hiding an unlikely secretthat sees proceedings descend into mayhem. While the film was rumored to debut in 2025, an actual release date has still yet to be confirmed forPlaydate, meaning that fans will have to wait a little longer for Ritchson’s comedic return.
8War Machine
Touted by the man himself as an outing likely to be “the biggest movie Netflix has ever had,” Ritchson is also set to lend his talents to the upcoming sci-fi action product,War Machine. Following a group of special ops recruits pitted against a mysterious, otherworldly force, the film also stars the likes of Dennis Quaid and Jai Courtney, with Courtney’s inclusion standing as delightfully coincidental considering that 2012’sJack Reacherserved as the Australian’s breakout role.
Ritchson has talked a big gamein the lead-up toWar Machine, meaning that expectations are already extremely high for this looming sci-fi action effort, despite no trailer or release date as of this time of writing. Unseating Netflix’s current streaming titan in 2021’sRed Noticewill likely prove to be a tall order, but time will tell whetherWar Machinecan put its money where Ritchson’s mouth is.
7Motor City
Alan Ritchson’s frenetic pace of schedule continues with another action-thriller effort currently pending a release date; Chad St. John’sMotor City. Details surrounding the movie’s plot have been sparse, but word on the street is that the film sees theReacherstar take the reins in a brutal revenge story, supported by the accomplished likes of Shailene Woodley, Ben Foster, and Pablo Schreiber.
Production is still in notably early stages, but the most exciting piece of news disclosed about the film to date has been the fact thatMotor Citywill feature barely any dialogue, with supporting star Ben Foster revealing that there areonly around five spoken linesin the entire movie. There’s also the thrilling update that the film was apparently able to utilize a real-life hospital demolition for scenes during filming, a development that promises at least one spectacularly apocalyptic action sequence.
6Runner
An action outing fromExpend4blesdirector Scott Waugh,Runneris set to star Ritchson as Hank Malone, a courier transporting an organ to assist in a young girl’s life-saving surgery. Unfortunately for Malone, a notorious crime syndicate boss urgently requires the same organ, thrusting Ritchson’s charge into a deadly fight for survival. However, considering that principal photography on the movie only began in Australia this month, there isn’t much further to go on in terms of plot or premise.
Fortunately, the same can’t be said forRunner’simpressive cast, considering the picture has already landed the likes of Owen Wilson and Rodrigo Santoro to flesh out proceedings. However, as the mind behind critical duds likeNeed for SpeedandAct of Valor, Waugh’s movies are typically known for their use ofspectacle over substance. As such, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this Ritchson-led outing devolve into similar B-movie action territory.
5Counting Miracles
The latest best-selling novel to be adapted for the screen byThe Notebookauthor Nicholas Sparks,Counting Miraclesconstitutes yet another looming project on Alan Ritchson’s professional horizon. The 2024 book’s plot follows aformer Army Ranger’s journey of personal discoveryafter returning home to reconnect with his father, with the movie likely to broadly follow suit.
Unsurprisingly, any work onCounting Miraclesis in exceedingly early stages given the recent release of Sparks' source material. However, the film has been officially confirmed to be in production with Amazon MGM, one third of a three-movie deal that they currently have in place with Ritchson. A potentially intriguing departure from the actor’s traditional action roles, watch this space closely.
Currently slated to serve as Ritchson’s directorial sophomore outing, it’s hardly surprising thatBad Seeds of Loving Springappears to have been pushed back as a priority in light of the actor’s groaning schedule. Asupernatural action thriller, the movie purportedly revolves around a gunman and sheriff who are forced to set aside their differences in the hopes of tracking down an infamous serial killer.
It would be advisable not to hold one’s breath on this one. There’s currently very little information aboutBad Seeds of Loving Springfloating around, and the film hasn’t even begun production at this time of writing. However, as a notable Ritchson passion project, it’s likely that the film will still eventually make its way to cinema screens in the next few years.
3Painter
Much like his effusive praise of upcoming releaseWar Machine’spotential, Alan Ritchson has hyped up his future project,Painter, to no end. The American is attached to star alongsidePrey’sAmber Midthunderin an ambitious action thriller revolving around a highly trained young woman, who sets out to rescue her father from a dangerous group of kidnappers.
Armed with a script written byJohn Wickalum Derek Kolstad,Painteris set to be directed by Garrett Warren. The highly sought-after stunt specialist behind the big-name likes ofLoganandAvatar, Warren is now apparently turning his hand to directing. Accordingly, viewers can expect to see Ritchson in anunashamedly epic, frenetically paced action effortto rival his other big-hitters in the genre, at a yet undisclosed date in the future.
2Neagley
TV Show (TBD)
An intriguing spin-off centered on fan-favorite supportingReachercharacter,Frances Neagley,Neagleywill see Maria Sten reprise her role as the formidable former Special Investigator for a new stand-alone story. Expected to be released some time in 2026, the series has been fast-tracked in remarkable fashion despite only being announced in 2024, highlighting the stock that Amazon Prime places in Lee Child’s live-action universe.
Very few details have been given about the show’s plot, butNeagley’sstoryis set to follow Sten’s charge as she investigates the death of a close friend in a mysterious accident. Multiple cast members have been announced for the show, including the likes of Greyston Holt, Adeline Rudolph, and Damon Herriman. Ritchson has also been confirmed to be reprising his role as Jack Reacher in a guest-star capacity, although the degree of his involvement in proceedings has obviously yet to be ascertained.
