Denzel Washington just locked in his next major role, and it’s not what anyone expected. The Oscar winner teams with a blockbuster action director for a gritty thriller that puts his Hannibal plans on hold.
Denzel Washington stars in Christopher McQuarrie’s new thriller
Denzel Washington and Christopher McQuarrie are teaming up for an untitled thriller at United Artists and Amazon MGM Studios. Deadline reports that Scott Barkan and Gregg Zehentner wrote the script. The film is set to hit theaters on October 1, 2027.
The story follows a former police detective serving a life sentence after receiving a terminal brain cancer diagnosis. Subsequently, he gains compassionate release with six months to live and returns home to reconnect with his estranged daughter and a grandson he never knew. He seeks to make amends, but ultimately, his troubled past catches up with him.
Meanwhile, McQuarrie will direct and produce alongside Heather McQuarrie. Scott Stuber and Nick Nesbitt produce through United Artists. Additionally, Joseph Restaino produces for Hungry Bull Productions, while Reza Moheet and Norman Aladjem produce for Mainstay Entertainment. Katia Washington and Tommy Harper also serve as producers.
Notably, Washington had previously planned to reunite with Antoine Fuqua for a Netflix epic about Carthaginian general Hannibal this fall. However, pre-production stalled due to budgetary issues. As a result, that pause allowed Washington to pivot, and meetings with McQuarrie pushed this project to the top of his slate. Producers are now casting the role of Washington’s daughter.
Beyond the big screen, the two-time Oscar winner recently returned to Broadway in Othello alongside Jake Gyllenhaal. He also starred in Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest. Furthermore, Washington will next appear in Netflix’s The Take alongside Robert Pattinson and Daisy Edgar-Jones, slated for 2027.
On the other hand, McQuarrie returns to the crime genre after a decade helming the Mission: Impossible franchise. He previously directed Jack Reacher, The Way of the Gun, and wrote The Usual Suspects. His most recent credit is Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.
Elsewhere, United Artists currently has several major projects in its pipeline. These include Lizard Music with Dwayne Johnson and Benny Safdie, Highlander starring Henry Cavill, and Michael Mann’s Heat 2 with Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale.
