Keanu Reeves replaces Alan Ritchson in Netflix action film ‘Maelstrom’

Hollywood star Keanu Reeves has joined the cast of Netflix’s upcoming action film Maelstrom, replacing Reacher actor Alan Ritchson, who has exited the project.

The film will be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, known for the action thriller Carry-On, according to entertainment portal Deadline.

In Maelstrom, a Federal Marshal assigned to protect the fiancée of an arms dealer turned witness 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.

Mark Bianculli, who wrote How to Rob a Bank, is working on the screenplay based on an initial draft by the late Gregory Fitzpatrick. The story has reportedly been in circulation in Hollywood since 1993, when a different set of action stars were attached to the project.

Reeves, 62, is best known for headlining popular action franchises such as The Matrix and John Wick.

The actor has several projects lined up, including The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil, an adaptation of Kill Current: A Jon Hendricks Thriller; the science-fiction film Shiver; The Entertainment System Is Down, directed by Palme d'Or-winning filmmaker Ruben Ostlund.