EXCLUSIVE: Following the success of this year’s War Machine, Netflix and Alan Ritchson are making long-term plans under a new first-look feature deal while also revving engines on their first project under the pact.
Sources tell Deadline that Ritchson and Netflix have formed a creative partnership through his Dancing Skeleton production banner and set an untitled heist thriller set in the world of MotoGP as the first project. Ritchson will star and produce, with Chris Morgan writing the script.
The film revolves around a crew of motorcycle thieves who begin stealing priceless antiquities around the world. Interpol recruits a onetime MotoGP prodigy (Ritchson) to catch them — until he realizes the ringleader may be his younger brother long believed dead.
In addition to Ritchson, producers include Chris Morgan and Ainsley Morgan for Chris Morgan Productions and Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum for RK Films.
Watch on Deadline
Ritchson, Morgan, Kirschenbaum and Roth pitched the project as Fast & Furious with motorcycles, which excited the studio given Morgan and Kirschenbaum’s ties to that Universal franchise. Morgan helped relaunch the Fast franchise at the studio, having written seven films starting with the fourth, while Kirschenbaum was co-president of production and the main exec overseeing the relaunch before he segued into producing.
The new project will have MotoGP’s full support, with the motorcycle road-racing championship signing a deal to help consult on the film, aiding in its development.
As for Ritchson’s partnership with Netflix, the deal comes after the success of War Machine, which recently claimed No. 10 spot on Netflix’s Most Popular Movies list with 139.9 million views in its first 91 days after hitting the streamer in March.
Under the Netflix deal, Ritchson will star in and produce a slate of feature films for Netflix.
Recently, Ritchson was tapped to headline Maelstrom, Jaume Collet-Serra’s buzzy new action package at Netflix. The project brings together talent from two of the streamer’s biggest action hits — Collet-Serra, who directed Carry-On, and Ritchson — for the story of a federal marshal guarding an arms dealer’s fiancée as a hurricane traps them together with a wave of incoming mercenaries.
Ritchson’s growing Netflix film slate is coupled with a move into unscripted television, where he’s leading an untitled survival competition series for the streamer and producing alongside Bunim/Murray Productions.
Founded by Ritchson, Dancing Skeleton produces original film and television projects across all platforms, with a focus on high-impact, audience-driven storytelling from distinctive creative voices
Ritchson is repped by WME, Range Media Partners and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller, Gellman, Meigs & Fox.