Alan Ritchson Hints War Machine Sequel Is Already in the Works
Reacher star and director Patrick Hughes already have War Machine 2 in their sights—and they’re taking cues from a James Cameron action classic.
Netflix just dropped a new sci-fi bruiser, and the follow-up chatter is already heating up. The movie is tearing through the charts, the star is in full action-hero mode, and the filmmaker clearly has a roadmap taped to the wall.
What you need to know
- Title: War Machine
- Release: March 6 on Netflix
- Star: Alan Ritchson (aka the guy flattening skulls on Reacher) as the enigmatic Staff Sergeant 81
- Director/Co-writer/Co-producer: Patrick Hughes (The Expendables 3, The Hitman's Bodyguard)
- Premise: A squad of Army Rangers in training gets stuck on one last brutal field exercise, then a hulking, otherworldly murder-machine shows up and turns it into a fight to live through the day
- Vibe: A relentless slab of no-frills, high-caliber action; think a hostile hunk of metal pitched somewhere between a Predator and a Transformer
- Reception: Strong word from critics and audiences for its unapologetic, testosterone-forward beatdowns
- Status: Currently topping Netflix in the U.S. and internationally
Yes, they are already talking sequel
Ritchson and Hughes say they have plans ready to go for more 81. Ritchson, never one to undersell a brawl, even tossed out a cheeky title tweak that nods to one of the greats: add an S and call it War Machines. Subtle? No. Effective? Also no, it is extremely obvious. And kind of perfect for what this movie is.
"Tons. Let me say it for him, tons. War Machines is going to be sick. The whole thing, we got a whole thing."
Hughes, meanwhile, says the follow-up isn't just a daydream. He knows where it goes and has already roughed it out.
"It's impossible not to, as a writer, to think about. I fell in love with the character of 81, and the universe of sort of everything he's going through. So look, if that call comes in, then yes, I'm ready to pull the trigger."
So who is 81, anyway?
The character plays like a dusty, Pale Rider-style drifter in combat boots: no real name, minimal chatter, maximum presence. The initial plan was for him to say nothing at all (Ritchson has already gone that route in the upcoming Motor City), but he does speak a little here. The backstory remains locked up with Ritchson and Hughes for now, which is exactly the kind of ammo you save for subsequent installments.
"We know. We're not going to say, you got to stick around for the eight sequels."
Where a sequel likely aims
War Machine keeps the first ride tight and contained — soldiers, one merciless metal nightmare, nowhere to run — but it plants seeds for a wider world and a much larger threat. The movie positions 81 as the guy you call when the species needs saving, which sets the table for a bigger canvas next time out.
Given how fast this thing has climbed the Netflix charts and how hot Ritchson is right now, it feels like a matter of when, not if. If they really go with War Machines, well, the mission statement is right there in the title.