Netflix Drops Major Update on Alan Ritchson's War Machine 2
Netflix just dropped an exciting update on War Machine 2, the sequel to the Alan Ritchson-led sci-fi actioner that hit the streamer earlier this year — and no, not the 2017 Netflix movie with the same name.
If you blinked and missed the first War Machine on Netflix earlier this year, that's probably not your fault – hardly anyone seemed to know it was coming until it landed. Now, the streaming giant's decided it was enough of a hit to commission a sequel, so here's the current state of play on War Machine 2, as well as a quick refresher for anyone not following along (which, going by the numbers, is only about 139 million of you).
Wait, Which War Machine?
Let's get this clear from the off: this isn't the Brad Pitt satirical war movie from 2017, also called 'War Machine', even though that was also a Netflix exclusive. No, this new War Machine is a sci-fi action flick directed by Patrick Hughes, and it stars Alan Ritchson (yes, the bloke who knocks heads together as Reacher).
So, What's the Premise?
The original film throws a bunch of American Army Ranger candidates into what starts as a bog-standard final training exercise, which quickly spirals into all-out carnage thanks to – plot twist – a killer robot. The main lot includes not just Ritchson, but also Dennis Quaid, Jai Courtney, Esai Morales, Stephan James, Blake Richardson, Daniel Webber, and Keiynan Lonsdale.
To quote the official synopsis:
'During the final stage of US Army Ranger selection, an elite team’s training exercise turns into a fight for survival against an unimaginable threat.'
By 'unimaginable', they mean 'robot that wants everyone dead', and the whole thing ends with Ritchson gearing up to save the world from more rampaging AIs. There was never any subtlety about leaving things open for a sequel, so this green light is no shock.
The Big Update: Sequel Confirmed
Netflix has officially given the go-ahead to War Machine 2. Patrick Hughes is sticking around as both director and co-writer, this time joined on script duties by James Beaufort.
As for the cast, Alan Ritchson is currently 'likely' to return as the slightly too beefy action man at the centre of it all, but nobody else has been confirmed just yet. Would be a bit awkward if they killed everyone off except him, wouldn't it?
Just How Popular Was This Thing?
Now, here's the bit that's honestly quite surprising. The first War Machine film managed to rack up 139 million views since it dropped on 26 March. Apparently, that makes it one of Netflix's top ten most-watched original films ever. It's currently holding onto the number 10 slot, although there’s a chance it bumps up to number nine, depending on how Netflix crunches the numbers during its 91-day measurement window.
Behind the Scenes
- Patrick Hughes directing and co-writing (again)
- James Beaufort stepping in as co-writer
- Todd Lieberman and Alex Young producing for Hidden Pictures
- Rich Cook producing for Range Media Partners
- Greg McLean producing for Huge Film
- Valerie Bleth Sharp attached as executive producer
What Could Happen Next?
With the end of the last film launching Ritchson's character into a full-on global mission against an evil robot horde, there’s pretty much a blank slate for the sequel. Given the set-up, expect War Machine 2 to double down on robot carnage and possibly find some new ways for Alan Ritchson to look increasingly knackered as he saves humanity.
No word yet on when the sequel will actually arrive.