New and Upcoming Action Movies & Series

With a new trilogy in the works and a proposed G.I. Joe crossover movie somewhere out there on a whiteboard, the Transformers franchise is working overtime to attract new fans and lure back those who began to tap out right around the 'Age of Extinction.' In case it isn't clear yet, this is not a live action movie starring a pair of former Avengers, and here's hoping Oscar-winning Pixar vet Josh Cooley is planning some boundary-pushing animation to meet the standard set by the Spider-Verse. If you have someone in your life who asks you: "Who is Michael Bay?" Perhaps then you can introduce them to the original movies after seeing this origin story set on Cybertron.

In theaters

This isn’t the live-action series being plotted by Phoebe Waller-Bridge at Prime Video, or a sequel to the 2018 reboot that starred Alicia Vikander. Instead, this animated series from writer Tasha Huo flows directly out of the 2010s video game series (“The Survivor Trilogy”) that introduced a young Lara Croft and retconned events in her early life that shaped her character. Huo, who also wrote the screenplay for the highly anticipated live-action Naruto movie, wants us to see how Lara built the relationships that serve as her global network on her adventures. She made hardcore fans happy by casting MCU vet Hayley Atwell as Lara’s voice and by helping the character Zip, a tech expert who has had Lara’s back over the years, jump formats from the video games into the series.

Premieres on Netflix Oct. 10

There are plenty of stories to explore in Prime Video’s newest video game adaptation “Like a Dragon: Yakuza.” Sega’s bestselling franchise includes eight games and an additional eight spin-off titles, not to mention several print publications, a feature film, and even a stage play. But series directors Masaharu Take and Kengo Takimoto have decided to begin at the beginning with a six-episode inaugural season that adapts the franchise’s original 2005 release, “Yakuza,” and its 2016 remake “Yakuza Kiwami.”

Premieres on Prime Video Oct. 24

Now that Madame Web is in the rear view mirror and Kraven the Hunter is prepped for a December release, it’s time for us to set our sights on the next film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. Tom Hardy returns as Eddie Brock/Venom to close out the trilogy with a story he devised alongside writer Kelly Marcel, who will make her directorial debut with the film. Internet sleuths seem to believe the movie will take place after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which could mean the multiverse is at play. We’re not sure who Juno Temple, Chiwetel Ejifor, and Clark Backo are scheduled to play, but we do know the “Ted Lasso” star considered filming “a wild, wonderful ride.” We don’t know about you, but our spidey senses are tingling.

In theaters October 25, 2024

No, Russell Crowe will not appear in Ridley Scott’s 'Gladiator' sequel (remember, Maximus died). The consolation prize is a cast that includes Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, and Paul Mescal in the lead role of Lucius (nephew of Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus from the original). Expect more dazzling fight sequences, including a fight between Mescal and a pack of baboons!

In theaters November 22, 2024

The ever-expanding John Wick saga is getting its first film spin-off in 2024 with Ballerina. Starring Ana de Armas, with support from franchise star Keanu Reeves and Ian McShane, the movie follows an assassin on a classic Wick-style revenge mission. The script from Shay Hatten (John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum) is under wraps, but cast members like de Armas and Reeves have dropped a few breadcrumbs for us to follow. The actress confirmed she and the action icon have a “very difficult stunt scene together,” while Reeves has hinted that the Ballerina’s quest is wrapped up in the mysterious death of her father.

Expected June 6, 2025

Producer Frank Marshall has stressed that this movie is a “new chapter” rather than a “spiritual sequel,” but it’s unclear what that will look like on screen. What we do know is Lee Issac Chung ('Minari') will direct an all-star cast lead by Daisy Edgar-Jones, who is rumored to play the daughter of weather scientists Bill and Jo Harding from the original film. Allegedly writer Mark L. Smith’s ('The Revenant,' 'Overlord') script impressed Stephen Spielberg so much that Amblin Entertainment signed on to produce.

Available to rent on VOD

Everyone’s favorite “merc with a mouth” returns for a third adventure, and the first movie in the franchise produced as part of the MCU after Disney’s 20th Century Fox acquisition in 2019. But if the idea of such a family friendly company creating a Deadpool movie makes you nervous, never fear! The saucy antihero’s next feature will still sport an R rating, with mastermind and star Ryan Reynolds reprising his roles both in front and behind the camera. Hugh Jackman, Morena Baccarin, and Brianna Hildebrand are all slated to return alongside new addition Jennifer Garner, who will reprise her pre-MCU role as Elektra. Oh, and did we mention the alternate reality canine Dogpool is going to make an appearance? Yeah, we don’t know what to expect, and that’s just the way we like it.

Available to rent on VOD

The Borderlands video game is finally getting its big screen adaptation after nearly 10 years in the making. Set in a cyberpunk-adjacent reality where low lifes with high tech take on dangerous missions for corporate cash, the film brings together the franchise’s most beloved characters to loot and shoot their way into our hearts. Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Ariana Greenblatt, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jack Black, and Florian Munteanu make up the ensemble cast of chaos, and we’re interested to see what director Eli Roth brings to his second action film in a career defined by blood and guts.

Available to rent on VOD

After 30 years and three sequels, cult-classic The Crow is getting a reboot, returning to its 1989 comic book roots to retell the tragic story of doomed lovers Eric Draven and fiancé Shelly Webster (FKA twigs) whose murders spark Draven's return from the dead to avenge their deaths. Bill Skarsgård (who you can also see the upcoming 'Boy Kills World' and 'Nosferatu') steps into the role of Eric Draven made famous by Brandon Lee who tragically died during the making of the 1994 film.

Available to rent on VOD

Last summer’s 'Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One' (say that five times fast) wasn’t the box office smash that Paramount was hoping it would be, despite favorable reviews by both fans and critics. The eighth franchise installment (now scheduled for a 2025 release) was originally planned as a send-off for Ethan Hunt, but Tom Cruise has expressed interest in continuing to leap from high places as the superspy.

Expected May 2025

Things have been quiet around Constantine 2 recently, but that doesn’t mean enthusiasm for the movie has died down. Director Francis Lawrence and writer Akiva Goldsman are back to work on the script, now that the Hollywood labor disputes are resolved, and meeting with star Keanu Reeves to work out the trajectory of the long-awaited sequel.

In production

Dev Patel makes his directorial debut in this wild action-revenge flick about a fight club brawler on a mission to take down the corrupt leaders responsible for his mother’s death. Originally destined for Netflix, Jordan Peele was so impressed he snagged a deal to release the film theatrically under his Monkeypaw Productions deal with Universal. While some are (respectfully) calling it "John Wick in Mumbai," that may be selling Monkey Man short, as Patel layers the film with social commentary about class struggles, corruption, and more.

Available to rent on VOD

From the darker consequences of human cloning in Never Let Me Go to the dangers of AI in Ex Machina, Alex Garland seems to gravitate toward stories that contribute to our loss of sleep, worrying about what the near future might hold. Civil War continues the trend as he turns his sights toward the anxiety-inducing “what if" scenario of the US fracturing completely and descending into another Civil War. What Garland's take on this may be is hard to tell from the trailers, but it's one we're eager to find out.

Streaming on Max

The mega-popular "Fallout" video game franchise makes the jump to live action on Prime Video this April. Ella Purnell (" Yellowjackets") stars as an underground vault dweller who ventures out into the retro-futuristic world of post-nuclear war Los Angeles. "Fallout" was developed by Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan , the creative heads behind “Westworld,” whose task is making sure the rich lore of the "Fallout" universe is translated in such a way as to capture the attention of gamers and casuals, much like "The Last of Us" did in 2023.

Streaming on Prime Video

Guy Ritchie has been a busy director lately, with two films last year ('Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre,' 'Guy Ritchie’s the Covenant'), and a current hit series on Netflix ("The Gentlemen"). His latest film is inspired by a real life British organization that engaged in espionage against Nazis across Europe during World War II. We’re hoping Ritchie’s skill at mixing action, suspense, and humor will be a better showcase for Henry Cavill, whose last action comedy ('Argylle') fared poorly at the box office. The supporting cast includes breakout star Alan Ritchson (of "Reacher" fame), Eiza Gonzalez, and Henry Golding.

Streaming on STARZ

Everything about Boy Kills World starts to make more sense once you learn a few key facts: 1) Sam Raimi, the legendary director behind The Evil Dead, Darkman, and Spider-Man (2002), is credited as a producer. 2) First-time director Moritz Mohr says he drew inspiration from manga, video games, kung-fu films, and “little Saturday-morning cartoons that I loved growing up” to create the movie’s tone. 3) The lead performance is shared between Bill Skarsgård, who gives a silent on-screen performance, and H. Jon Benjamin, who lends his epic announcer voice to the protagonist’s inner monologue.

Streaming on Hulu

The summer blockbuster season is starting early this year with a love letter to the art of stunt performances. Hollywood darlings Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt star in this big old action flick that decorates its classic hero’s journey plot in the most lavish stunts you’ll see on screen this year — including driver Logan Holladay’s world-recording shattering 8½ rotation cannon roll in a modded Jeep Grand Cherokee. Be prepared to gain a whole new appreciation for stunt work from director David Leitch (John Wick, Atomic Blonde) who started his career as a stunt performer himself, notably as Brad Pitt’s double back in the Fight Club years. And keep an eye out for Lee Majors, who starred in the original ‘80s TV series and is rumored to make an on-screen appearance.

Streaming on Peacock

Oh, what a day! What a lovely day it was when the 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' trailer dropped at CCXP last year. Fans were instantly drawn back into the manic, mechanic high-contrast dystopia created by writer-director George Miller more than 30 years ago. This 5th installment in the Mad Max franchise follows renegade warrior Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy) from her kidnapping from the Green Place of Many Mothers to the Wasteland and finally to the Citadel, home of the despotic Immortan Joe. We’re excited to see Chris Hemsworthput down Mjolnir and step into the villainous role of Demetus, and we can’t wait until they reveal the actor behind Immortan Joe’s mask.

Streaming on Max

Miami’s finest have turned fugitive for the fourth installment of the beloved action-comedy franchise, and we have every reason to believe Bad Boys: Ride or Die is poised to rock the 2024 box office. The previous film in the series, Bad Boys For Life, made waves in 2020 with a $62 million opening weekend and a $206 million total gross, making it the second highest grossing film to release in January ever. With a return of the core cast, directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, writers Chris Bremner and George Gallo, plus the addition of franchise newcomers Tasha Smith, Eric Dane, and Tiffany Haddish, we predict Ride or Die will be a hit for critics and fans alike.

Available for rent on VOD