Alan Ritchson is returning to Queensland, Australia to begin production on an untitled Amazon MGM Studios feature about decorated Navy SEAL hero Mike Thornton, Screen Queensland has revealed.
Principal photography kicks off this month at Village Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast. The project marks Ritchson’s return to the region following his recent action thriller “Runner,” which filmed in Brisbane and the Gold Coast in 2025.
Australian director Patrick Hughes is helming the project, which chronicles Thornton’s real-life survival story in the South China Sea that earned him a Congressional Medal of Honor. Ritchson, known for his roles in “Reacher” and “Fast X,” stars alongside Joe Cole (“Subversion,” “A Prayer Before Dawn”) and Hoa Xuande (“The Sympathizer,” “Avatar: The Last Airbender”).
Sylvester Stallone and D. Matt Geller are producing under Balboa Productions, alongside Hidden Pictures’ Todd Lieberman and Alex Young, Ritchson’s AllyCat Entertainment, and Alan Rautbort. Executive producers are Valerie Bleth Sharp and Mike Thornton. The screenplay was written by Mark Semos (“SEAL Team,” “Y: Marshals”), Ritchson and Jason Hall (“American Sniper,” “Thank You for Your Service”).
The film is supported by the Australian government through the Location Offset, the Queensland government through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy and the City of Gold Coast’s Screen Attraction Program.
The production was secured for Queensland through Screen Queensland’s Production Strategy and the federal government’s Location Offset.
Acting Minister for the Arts Tim Nicholls said the project demonstrates strong momentum for screen production in the state heading into 2026 under the Crisafulli Government.
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“This latest project for Amazon MGM Studios will create employment for around 260 local cast and crew while injecting an estimated AUD50 million ($33.5 million) into the Queensland economy and supporting numerous small businesses,” Nicholls said in a statement, adding that the government remains committed to keeping Queensland as the country’s top destination for screen production.
Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney highlighted the state’s expertise with military and water-based productions as key factors in the production’s return to Queensland.
“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,” Feeney said.
Hughes said he was excited to bring the project back to Australia. “The Gold Coast offers world-class crews, facilities, and locations, making it an ideal home for a production of this scale,” the “Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” director said. “I’m thrilled to be working with Screen Queensland to bring this film to life.”
The Mike Thornton project joins a growing slate of Queensland-based films for Amazon MGM Studios, including “Balls Up,” “The Bluff,” “Voltron” and “Subversion.”
From Variety US