Washington [US], October 27 (ANI): Hollywood star Keanu Reeves is set to headline the upcoming Netflix action film ‘Maelstrom’, taking over the lead role from ‘Reacher’ star Alan Ritchson, who has exited the project for undisclosed reasons. 

Deadline confirmed the news that Keanu Reeves is now set to lead the feature, which is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, known for his work on Carry-On. 

In ‘Maelstrom’, Keanu Reeves will play a Federal Marshal assigned to protect the fiancée of an arms dealer turned witness.

According to Deadline, the character must defend her through one brutal night as a hurricane cuts off communication, strands them without reinforcements, and unleashes the dealer’s men on their safe house. 

The current draft of the script is written by Mark Bianculli, following an initial draft by the late Gregory Fitzpatrick.

The project has a lengthy history in Hollywood, having originally been set up as a spec script at Warner Bros. back in 1993.

Jeff Robinov is set to produce alongside Tabitha Shick of Talking Pictures. 

Coming off the fourth instalment of the ‘John Wick’ franchise, Reeves has continued to expand his active slate of projects.

His upcoming ventures include entering talks to lead James Wan’s take on the South Korean crime actioner ‘The Gangster’, ‘The Cop’, ‘The Devil’ for Paramount, reprising his voice role as Shadow in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 4’, and starring in an adaptation of the forthcoming Oliver Lowe novel Kill Current: A Jon Hendricks Thriller under his new banner, Two Dragonflies. 

Additional upcoming projects for Reeves include the Warner Bros. sci-fi film ‘Shiver’ and ‘The Entertainment System Is Down’ from director Ruben Ostlund. (ANI)