Reacher star Alan Ritchson to lead the Untitled Mike Thornton film by Patrick Hughes

Alan Ritchson will lead an untitled Mike Thornton film from Amazon MGM Studios based on the Navy SEAL's life. It marks his latest collaboration with the production house, which was behind the crime drama series Reacher, which propelled him to action stardom. Since then, he has been steadily shifting his focus toward a variety of projects.

The Mike Thornton film is Alan Ritchson's new film, part of his three-picture deal with Amazon MGM, as per Deadline. It will be directed by Australian filmmaker Patrick Hughes, who recently worked with him on Netflix's sci-fi action film, War Machine. Hughes has also helmed The Expendables 3 (2014), The Hitman’s Bodyguard (2017), and The Man from Toronto (2022).

Ritchson will be leading the cast of Hughes' Amazon MGM movie as Mike Thornton. It will follow the screenplay written by Ritchson and Mark Semos, with Jason Hall, known for writing war-themed projects such as Clint Eastwood's American Sniper (2014) and his own directorial project, Thank You for Your Service (2017).

What else do we know about Amazon MGM's Mike Thornton film?

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Alan Ritchson will play a major role in the forthcoming Amazon MGM war film. He is the co-writer, star, and one of the producers behind this movie about the now-retired Navy SEAL officer. In a recent report, Deadline shared a few details about its plot. It said,

"The film will follow NAVY SEAL Mike Thornton during the final days of the Vietnam War as he leads a desperate last stand after five men are trapped behind enemy lines in North Vietnam. Outnumbered by an army of 150 soldiers, they fight through relentless enemy fire before making a harrowing retreat into the South China Sea."

Their synopsis further reads,

"With both a gravely wounded lieutenant and fellow soldier tied to him, Thornton swims for hours through hostile waters to reach safety, an act of valor that earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor."

As revealed earlier, Alan Ritchson is a producer behind this war drama on behalf of his AllyCat Entertainment banner. He is joined by Alex Young and Todd Lieberman from Hidden Pictures, Sylvester Stallone from his Balboa Productions, and Alan Rautbort.

Based on the details revealed so far, it feels like an action-packed project tracing a chapter from the nation's history.

What else is Alan Ritchson working on?

Celebrity Sightings In New York City - January 7, 2025 - Source: Getty

The Reacher star will return for the fourth season of the show as the protagonist, Jack Reacher. Deadline reports that it is currently under production, with Alan Ritchson also serving in his role as an executive producer.

Ritchson has a few more projects on his radar, including Motor City, an action thriller set in 1970s Detroit, helmed by Potsy Ponciroli. It recently premiered at the Venice Film Festival and will also be a part of the Toronto Film Festival. He also stars in Playdate, a PG-13 action comedy film, alongside Kevin James, Isla Fisher, Alan Tudyk, and more.

Arnold Schwarzenegger joins Alan Ritchson as a co-lead of Adam Shankman's action comedy, The Man with the Bag. The Reacher star also headlines Scott Waugh's action thriller, Runner, with Owen Wilson.

More details on these projects are expected soon.