Keanu Reeves is attached to star in the Netflix action thriller Maelstrom, a revival of a script first pitched in 1993 that takes its inspiration from Die Hard.
A Stormy Night for a Revived Script
The film will be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, who previously helmed the streamer’s top-rated original Carry-On. Reeves steps into the lead role after Alan Ritchson dropped out of talks for the project. Ritchson had been in discussions to play the part before his abrupt departure from the production.
The story follows a Federal Marshal tasked with guarding the fiancée of an arms dealer who is seeking witness protection. The action unfolds over one stormy night as a hurricane rolls in and knocks out communication lines. The duo must fight to survive the arms dealer’s henchmen while dealing with the elements outside their window.
Digging Up a 1993 Spec Script
The current iteration of the script was polished by Mark Bianculli, who also penned an upcoming remake of the 1993 Stallone movie Cliffhanger. The original spec script was sold to Warner Bros. 33 years ago in 1993 before being resurrected this year at Netflix.
The late Gregory Fitzpatrick wrote the first draft of the screenplay back then. Former Warner Bros. film boss Jeff Robinov is producing the film and was involved in the original sale of the script by screenwriter Greg Fitzpatrick when he worked as an agent at ICM.
Netflix executive Ori Marmur reportedly alerted top producers around Hollywood to bring their best unmade, high-concept projects to the streamer. This strategy resulted in the new version of Maelstrom joining other dusted-off titles revived by the company.
A New Chapter for Netflix Action
Carry-On was dormant for 11 years before Netflix revived it and attached Collet-Serra along with stars Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman. The project wound up as the third most viewed film ever at the streamer following its release.
Reps for Reeves and Netflix did not comment on the announcement, and reps for Ritchson did not get back to reporters seeking information on his exit. At Warner Bros., Robinov shepherded billion-dollar franchises like The Dark Knight and The Hangover movies during his tenure there.
The film has been reported as being the first big title in a Netflix deal Robinov inked with the streaming giant. This move continues the company’s pattern of reviving dormant Hollywood projects that had high potential but lacked the right opportunity to launch previously.
Behind The Scenes Of Maelstrom’s Development
According to a 1993 Variety piece, the original script for Maelstrom was part of a larger push at the time for studios to find action films in the vein of the genre-defining “Die Hard” (1988) for stars like Steven Seagal, Sylvester Stallone, and Clint Eastwood.
The script was written by the late Gregory Fitzpatrick, and was sold as a spec script to Warner Bros. 33 years ago, before it was resurrected this year at Netflix. Former Warner Bros. film boss Jeff Robinov was involved in the original sale of the script, when Robinov was an agent at ICM.
Mark Bianculli, who also penned an upcoming remake of the 1993 Stallone movie “Cliffhanger”, recently polished the current iteration of the Maelstrom script. The film’s director, Jaume Collet-Serra, has had success with dusted-off titles, including “Carry-On”, which was dormant for 11 years before Netflix revived it.
Sources
- Keanu Reeves to star in Netflix revival of ‘Die Hard’-inspired action movie first pitched in 1993
- Keanu Reeves Enlisted For Jaume Collet-Serra & Netflix's 'Die Hard'-Inspired 'Maelstrom' After Alan Ritchson Exits
- Popular female podcasters break ‘Blue Dot Fever’ in surprising sell out of Madison Square Garden
Photo: Gabriel Hutchinson (CC BY-SA 4.0)
