Mark Wahlberg links up with The Rip director for Netflix action movie — first details drop
Mark Wahlberg will front Netflix’s next action thriller from The Rip’s filmmaker Joe Carnahan — and the project now has a title you’ll want to clock.
If you thought Mark Wahlberg was slowing down in the action department, think again. Netflix is lining up yet another action-packed project, this time called The Operator, and Wahlberg’s set to headline. But that’s not all: the bloke directing is none other than Joe Carnahan, who just scored a massive hit streaming-wise with another Netflix film. The streamer’s absolutely going all-in on this one.
The Operator was snapped up by Netflix after a major bidding war back in December 2025.
The New Team-Up: Wahlberg Meets Carnahan
Let’s get the obvious stuff out the way: Mark Wahlberg will star as the “Operator” himself—he’s playing a former Tier One military operative, now working behind the scenes for the CIA as a top-secret specialist. The plot’s that classic Carnahan blend: our man gets saddled with a job to safeguard the one person he absolutely can’t stand. Unfortunately for both of them, the situation goes off the rails straightaway and turns into a kill-or-be-killed chase. So, if you’re picturing a high-octane, character-driven pressure cooker, you’re definitely on the right track.
The script comes from Harrison Query. Apparently, his screenplay was one of the most sought-after this past winter—Netflix nabbed it after some serious competition. If Query’s name sounds familiar, it may be because Netflix has also bagged his new true crime series, The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey. Clearly, the streamer’s got a thing for his writing right now.
Behind the Camera: All-Star Production Lineup
Now to the people actually making this beast: Alex Heineman and Andrew Rona (of The Picture Company) are set to produce. Wahlberg’s also hands-on, bringing in his own production banner, Municipal Pictures, with his long-time collaborator Stephen Levinson. Rounding out the production team is Scott Glassgold (he produced that horror flick Tarot in 2024) via his company 12:01 Films. Honestly, this is a proper who's who of mid-budget action filmmaking.
Directing is Joe Carnahan, hot off that streaming smash The Rip. If you missed it, that was the Matt Damon and Ben Affleck action-thriller that landed on Netflix on 16 January this year (2026) and clocked over 41 million views in just three days—yeah, ridiculous numbers. It launched to number one in 93 countries, which is not something you see every day, even in our binge-happy era. Carnahan, of course, is no stranger to the genre—he's the bloke behind Narc, Smokin' Aces, The Grey, and Copshop, so you pretty much know what to expect: stylish violence, sharp banter, and a heap of tension.
- The Operator — Mark Wahlberg starring, Carnahan directing, produced by The Picture Company and Municipal Pictures, script by Harrison Query.
- Carnahan’s last Netflix hit The Rip scored 41+ million views in its opening weekend, topping charts globally.
- No word yet when we can actually see The Operator—there’s no official release date.