In the world of Netflix, success typically breeds a sequel — and that’s the case with “War Machine,” a sci-fi action movie that racked up record viewership numbers for the streamer when it dropped earlier this year.
Based on that astounding viewership, Deadline recently reported that a sequel is now officially in the works.
Action with a Sci-Fi Twist
NetflixAlan Ritchson is best known for playing the titular protagonist in Prime Video’s “Reacher,” but the actor has been branching out beyond embodying Lee Childs’ iconic character in that series.
Back in March 2026, Ritchson starred in Netflix film “War Machine,” an action movie with a sci-fi twist. “During the final stage of U.S. Army Ranger selection, an elite team’s training exercise turns into a fight for survival against an unimaginable threat,” notes the Netflix synopsis.
Ritchson stars as a soldier known only as 81. He becomes the main line of defence upon the emergence of that threat: an army of extraterrestrial robots from another planet, intent on invading Earth.
‘War Machine’ is One of Netflix’s Most-Watched Movies Ever
It didn’t take long for Netflix execs to realize they had a winner on their hands with “War Machine.”
When the dust settled, the film had received 139 million views, making it one of the top 10 most popular original movies Netflix has ever produced.
So far, news about the upcoming sequel has been limited; in fact, there’s been no word yet on whether Ritchson will return to reprise his character.
‘War Machine’ Was His Most Physically Demanding Role Yet
Fans of the flick loved the intense sequences. For star Ritchson, however, capturing those scenes on film was grueling.
“It was hard,” the actor told The Hollywood Reporter. “I’m not going to lie, this was the most I’ve ever been pushed physically, and it was the most I’ve ever doubted my own ability to finish.”
In fact, Ritchson admitted that “there were many times when I said, ‘I don’t know if I’ll be able to get across the finish line.’ … It was the relentless pace of filming and how the story itself coalesced into something that was really tough on the body. There was no way around it.”
Despite the Pain, Ritchson Wouldn’t Change a Thing
With production in the rearview mirror, Ritchson admitted that after it was all over, the physical challenges he’d faced fell by the wayside.
“I remind myself that you forget the pain of it all relatively quickly,” he added. “Maybe there’s a life lesson in there because I think a lot of times we become so hyper fixated on the pain that we’re experiencing in the moment. We get lost in it. We feel like it will last forever. And it never does.”
Ultimately, he views those sacrifices as necessary in order to make the kind of movie he wanted to make. “What gets me through is when a movie comes out and it’s a project I am proud of and I remember how I poured my whole soul into it,” he continued. “When I watch it, I never remember the pain, only that I am proud of what we made. You put rose-colored glasses on sometimes in hindsight. I know that I can do that. I often do. The pain won’t last forever but film is forever. I put my energy into that.”
