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Alan Ritchson, best known for his role in Amazon Prime series Reacher, is heading back to Queensland to begin filming a new Amazon MGM Studios feature about decorated Navy Seal hero Mike Thornton.
The US actor, who was last in Queensland early last year to film action-thriller Runner alongside Owen Wilson, will be on location this month when filming begins at Village Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast.
The Sylvester Stallone-backed feature film, which is yet to be titled, is being directed by Australia’s Patrick Hughes (Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, War Machine).
"It's incredibly rewarding to bring this project back to Australia,” says Hughes.
“The Gold Coast offers world-class crews, facilities, and locations, making it an ideal home for a production of this scale. I'm thrilled to be working with Screen Queensland to bring this film to life.”
Ritchson plays the lead role in a story that depicts the real-life struggle for survival in the hostile waters of the South China Sea that earned Mike Thornton a Congressional Medal of Honor.
Ritchson, who also appeared in Fast X, will star alongside Joe Cole (Subversion, A Prayer Before Dawn) and Hoa Xuande (The Sympathizer, Avatar: The Last Airbender).
Ritchson is also among the producers, through his AllyCat Entertainment, alongside Sylvester Stallone and D. Matt Geller under Balboa Productions, Hidden Pictures’ Todd Lieberman and Alex Young, as well as Alan Rautbort.
Executive producers are Valerie Bleth Sharp and Mike Thornton.
The script is written by Mark Semos (Seal Team, Y: Marshals), Alan Ritchson and Jason Hall (American Sniper; Thank You For Your Service).
Jacqui Feeney, Screen Queensland CEO, says that Queensland’s expertise with military and water-based projects made the state a “perfect choice” to bring Thornton’s story to the screen.
“Queensland crews have an internationally renowned reputation for delivering complex action films and series and it’s fantastic to start the new year with such an ambitious production coming into Village Roadshow Studios,” says Feeney.
The project was secured for the state through Screen Queensland’s Production Strategy, the Federal Government’s Location Offset and the City of Gold Coast’s Screen Attraction Program.
Queensland’s Acting Minister for the Arts, Tim Nicholls, says 2026 is shaping up as another strong year for screen production in Queensland.
“With the continued backing of our incentives, the Crisafulli Government is delivering ongoing employment and economic benefits to Queensland and we are committed to ensuring our state remains number one for screen production in the country,” says Nicholls.
“This latest project for Amazon MGM Studios will create employment for around 260 local cast and crew while injecting an estimated $50 million into the Queensland economy and supporting numerous small businesses.”
The Mike Thornton project joins a growing list of Queensland-made films for Amazon MGM Studios, which includes Balls Up, The Bluff, Voltron and Subversion.
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