Alan Ritchson’s New Sci-Fi Action Thriller Is Officially One Of The Biggest Of 2026 On Streaming

Published Nov 7, 2026, 12:00 PM EST

Rianna is the Movie News Editor for ScreenRant. After earning her BA in Film Studies, she began her career as an entertainment writer, contributing to several publications before joining ScreenRant. Her dissertation on the impact of streaming on traditional cinema sharpened her focus on the ever-evolving world of film and media. With 10 years in the industry, Rianna continues to cover the stories she loves while also advocating for awareness and representation of rare disabilities, such as Moebius Syndrome, which she lives with.

The action genre has been taken over by Alan Ritchson, as his movies and series continue to dominate the charts on streaming around the world. Ritchson is an actor, model, writer, and musician who is best known for appearing in Prime Video's action-thriller series Reacher. He began appearing in titles such as Smallville, Blue Mountain State, and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire before paving his way into making his name synonymous with all things action.

Ritchson continues to dominate on streaming, and his new sci-fi action thriller is no exception, as it has officially been crowned one of the biggest releases on streaming in 2026. War Machine, the Netflix smash-hit, remains in the top 10 for the streaming giant in the world this year. Directed by Patrick Hughes, known for The Hitman's Bodyguard, War Machine is set during the final stage of US Army Ranger selection, as an elite team's training exercise turns into a fight for survival against an unimaginable threat.

War Machine Is Officially One Of Netflix's Biggest Hits Of 2026

Choose the movie with the higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Ritchson stars in War Machine alongside Dennis Quaid, Alex King, Jai Courtney, Blake Richardson, Esai Morales, Keiynan Lonsdale, Daniel Webber, and Jake Ryan. Despite flopping during its limited theatrical release, the streaming giant Netflix redeemed the movie through its consistent performance, making it the biggest movie release for the streamer in 2026. War Machine shot to number one globally when it landed on Netflix in 93 countries and crossed over 118 million views within its first five weeks.

Critics gave it a rating of 66% based on 65 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviews for Ritchson's action thriller stated, "War Machine is a solid and entertaining film. You might say it is more than meets the eye," and "As a pretty efficient action film that feels like a throwback with modern effects (the heavier-than-expected jingoism reinforces this sentiment), War Machine is the best film on Netflix with that title."

What's The Latest On Ritchson's Sci-Fi Action Sequel?

Fans of War Machine are in luck, as Netflix has officially greenlit a sequel titled War Machines, with Ritchson set to return as the lead character named 81. Hughes will be returning to direct and co-write the sequel alongside James Beaufort. Plot details have largely been kept under wraps, but the sequel is expected to expand the global sci-fi conflict introduced in the first movie against multiple extraterrestrial adversaries. It was last reported in July that War Machines remains in early development as the screenplay continues to be fine-tuned before heading into production.

Ritchson shared his gratitude for War Machine's success on social media and stated, "What a monumental day. So many of you are a part of the War Machine world now. It’s incredible to build it with you in mind. A world that started with a dream @patrick_hughes_ had and fought for. A dream @lionsgate believed in and @netflix built a house and home for. All of them took a huge gamble on me and I’m just so grateful. I feel lucky I get to suffer as 81 for you. Bringing hard hitting roles like this to life gives me so much direction, I’m grateful to play a small part in it. Shout out to the gritty as hell cast and crew. Top 10 films of all time on Netflix is crazy. But this was just the appetizer. Wild times ahead. We’re just getting started."

At the time of writing, it's unclear when War Machines will arrive on Netflix, but War Machine is available to watch now.