It’s been a minute since the days of Blue Mountain State, meaning that Alan Ritchson is now best known for his portrayal of the eponymous hulking drifter on Amazon Prime’s Reacher. Serving as the live-action figurehead for Lee Child’s best-selling Jack Reacher book series, Ritchson has done what Tom Cruise could not, with his casting and performance receiving near-universal praise. The American’s success on Reacher has opened further doors for him, a state of affairs that has seen him recently cast in high-profile blockbusters like Fast X and The 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 of Reacher and its spin-offs, the actor has also been confirmed to have multiple exciting film projects in the pipeline, encompᴀssing 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 than eleven upcoming movies and television shows, meaning that Ritchson is set to retain an exceedingly hectic schedule for the foreseeable future.

11

Fast & Furious 11

Movie (2026)

Touted as the conclusive chapter in the long-running and wildly successful Fast & Furious movie franchise, Fast 11 was 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 ᴀssociated with uniting the movie’s star-studded cast.

Introduced as the duplicitous villain Aimes in the series’ most recent installment, 2023’s Fast 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 when Fast & Furious duly makes its comeback.

10

The 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 ballot sci-fi Hall of Famer will 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 for The 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.

9

Playdate

Movie (TBD)

Featuring Ritchson alongside Here Comes the Boom star Kevin James in the leading roles, Playdate sounds like another opportunity for the actor to flex what were once-trademark comedic muscles, thanks to his iconic role as Thad Castle on Blue 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, after Ritchson’s charge is revealed to be hiding an unlikely secret that sees proceedings descend into mayhem. While the film was rumored to debut in 2025, an actual release date has still yet to be confirmed for Playdate, meaning that fans will have to wait a little longer for Ritchson’s comedic return.

8

War Machine

Movie (TBD)

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’s Jack Reacher served as the Australian’s breakout role.

Ritchson has talked a big game in the lead-up to War 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 тιтan in 2021’s Red Notice will likely prove to be a tall order, but time will tell whether War Machine can put its money where Ritchson’s mouth is.

7

Motor City

Movie (TBD)

Alan Ritchson’s frenetic pace of schedule continues with another action-thriller effort currently pending a release date; Chad St. John’s Motor City. Details surrounding the movie’s plot have been sparse, but word on the street is that the film sees the Reacher star 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 that Motor City will feature barely any dialogue, with supporting star Ben Foster revealing that there are only around five spoken lines in 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.

6

Runner

Movie (TBD)

An action outing from Expend4bles director Scott Waugh, Runner is set to star Ritchson as Hank Malone, a courier transporting an organ to ᴀssist 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 ᴅᴇᴀᴅly fight for survival. However, considering that principal pH๏τography 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 for Runner’s impressive 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 like Need for Speed and Act of Valor, Waugh’s movies are typically known for their use of spectacle over substance. As such, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this Ritchson-led outing devolve into similar B-movie action territory.

5

Counting Miracles

Movie (TBD)

The latest best-selling novel to be adapted for the screen by The Notebook author Nicholas Sparks, Counting Miracles consтιтutes yet another looming project on Alan Ritchson’s professional horizon. The 2024 book’s plot follows a former Army Ranger’s journey of personal discovery after returning home to reconnect with his father, with the movie likely to broadly follow suit.

Unsurprisingly, any work on Counting Miracles is 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.

4

Bad Seeds Of Loving Spring

Movie (TBD)

Currently slated to serve as Ritchson’s directorial sophomore outing, it’s hardly surprising that Bad Seeds of Loving Spring appears to have been pushed back as a priority in light of the actor’s groaning schedule. A supernatural 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 about Bad Seeds of Loving Spring floating around, and the film hasn’t even begun production at this time of writing. However, as a notable Ritchson pᴀssion project, it’s likely that the film will still eventually make its way to cinema screens in the next few years.

3

Painter

Movie (TBD)

Much like his effusive praise of upcoming release War Machine’s potential, Alan Ritchson has hyped up his future project, Painter, to no end. The American is attached to star alongside Prey’s Amber Midthunder in 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 by John Wick alum Derek Kolstad, Painter is set to be directed by Garrett Warren. The highly sought-after stunt specialist behind the big-name likes of Logan and Avatar, Warren is now apparently turning his hand to directing. Accordingly, viewers can expect to see Ritchson in an unashamedly epic, frenetically paced action effort to rival his other big-hitters in the genre, at a yet undisclosed date in the future.

2

Neagley

TV Show (TBD)

An intriguing spin-off centered on fan-favorite supporting Reacher character, Frances Neagley, Neagley will 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, but Neagley’s story is 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.

1

Reacher (Season 4)

TV Show (TBD)

Based on Lee Child’s fan-favorite novel Pretender, Season 3 of Reacher has been touted by many critics as the best installment of the show to date. As such, it should come as little surprise that the Amazon Prime smash-hit had already been renewed for its fourth outing ahead of the third season premiere. There’s been no confirmation yet as to which Jack Reacher novel that the series will adopt next, but Ritchson’s return as the show’s eponymous former leader of the Special Investigators is a certainty.

Given the third season’s recent debut, Season 4 of Reacher hasn’t been allotted a release date yet, but the show tends to stick to a pretty regular schedule. We would normally expect to see Ritchson’s hulking drifter return around 2027, but it’s been confirmed that filming on the new season won’t begin until production wraps on the upcoming spin-off, Neagley; hardly shocking, in light of the fact that both shows largely share the same crew. As such, fans are likely in for their longest wait in between seasons in the show’s history to date.