Keanu Reeves has picked up another lead role. The John Wick and Constantine star is set to headline Maelstrom, an action thriller at Netflix from Black Adam director Jaume Collet-Serra.
Reeves steps into the part after Alan Ritchson exited the project. The reasons behind the Reacher star's departure have not been made public, and Netflix has declined to comment on the swap.
A Siege Movie In The Middle Of A Hurricane
Maelstrom follows a Federal Marshal assigned to protect the fiancee of an arms dealer who has agreed to testify. Over one brutal night, a hurricane cuts off all communication and leaves the pair stranded without reinforcements, just as the dealer's men descend on their safe house.
It is a simple setup, and one that fits Reeves well. Most of the John Wick films are built around a lone professional fighting his way through an army of hired guns, and Maelstrom looks like it will give him another long night of exactly that, only with flooding streets and no way to call for help.
The script has an unusual history. Maelstrom was first set up as a spec at Warner Bros. all the way back in 1993, and it has been moving through the system ever since. The late Gregory Fitzpatrick wrote the original draft, while the current version comes from Mark Bianculli. Jeff Robinov is producing with Tabitha Shick of Talking Pictures.
From Black Adam To Carry-On
Comic book fans will know Collet-Serra best for Black Adam, the DC film that put Dwayne Johnson in the role of the Kahndaq antihero. He also worked with Johnson on Disney's Jungle Cruise, but his real specialty has always been the tight, contained thriller.
His track record includes Non-Stop, The Commuter and The Shallows, and his most recent movie was Netflix's Carry-On, which trapped Taron Egerton inside an airport for most of its runtime and became a big hit for the streamer. Pairing that director with a single-night survival story and one of the most bankable action stars in the business makes a lot of sense on paper.
Shadow, BRZRKR And The Long Wait For Constantine 2
Reeves has been stacking his schedule since John Wick: Chapter 4, and several of his projects are squarely in comic book and video game territory. He is set to return as the voice of Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 4, which hits theaters on March 19, 2027. The full cast for that sequel was confirmed earlier this year, and you can see who else is coming back for Sonic the Hedgehog 4.
There is also BRZRKR, the BOOM! Studios comic Reeves created and co-writes with Matt Kindt, with art by Ron Garney. It follows B, an immortal half-god warrior who has been fighting for 80,000 years. Netflix acquired the rights to make a live-action film starring Reeves, plus an anime series, and Justin Lin was later attached to direct the movie. It is still in development, with no production start or release window announced.
Then there is Constantine 2. Reeves and director Francis Lawrence have spent years trying to bring John Constantine back, and the sequel was officially announced in 2022 with Akiva Goldsman attached to write. Reeves has said the pair pitched a story to DC Studios and got the go-ahead to write a script, though James Gunn said last year that he had talked to Reeves about Constantine 2 but had not read a script yet. A recent rundown of Warner Bros. projects still listed the sequel in development, so it remains alive, but there is no release date in sight.
Outside of the genre space, Reeves is in talks to lead James Wan's take on the South Korean crime thriller The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil at Paramount. He is also attached to Kill Current: A Jon Hendricks Thriller, an adaptation of an upcoming Oliver Lowe novel and the first project from his new banner, Two Dragonflies. The Warner Bros. sci-fi film Shiver and Ruben Ostlund's The Entertainment System Is Down are on the way as well.
What This Means For Alan Ritchson
Ritchson losing a Netflix lead is a little less surprising when you look at his calendar. Reacher remains one of Prime Video's biggest shows, and the actor has a long history with comic book roles, from his debut as Aquaman on Smallville to Raphael in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films and Hawk on Titans.
He could be heading back to DC, too. Just recently, Peter Safran confirmed that DC Studios has held talks with Alan Ritchson, saying the two sides "talked about a couple of things, but nothing that's come to fruition at this point." There is no indication that those conversations played any part in his exit from Maelstrom, but fans will be watching closely to see what he lines up next.
As for Maelstrom, no other cast members have been announced, and Netflix has not shared a filming start or release window. Considering how quickly Carry-On moved, it would not be a shock to see this one get going soon.
Do you want to see Keanu Reeves lead Maelstrom, or would you rather he finally get back into John Constantine's trench coat first?
Sound off with your thoughts in the comments below.