‘Mayday’: The New Action-Adventure Starring Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh Set to Start Filming in March

Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh are set to start filming on their latest project, the action-adventure flick Mayday. While many details about the upcoming film are still under wraps, it has been announced that it will begin filming in March, with writer-director duo Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley directing the movie.

Here’s what we know so far about Mayday.

Apple and Skydance Are Teaming Up for Mayday

In June 2023, Deadline reported that Apple Original Films and Skydance are partnering for the upcoming feature Mayday. The script for the action film had already been written before the WGA strike began in May. The screenplay was based on a pitch by directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. Goldstein and Daley approached Skydance earlier in 2023 with the idea for the film before Apple was involved.

The project gained momentum in April 2023, when Ryan Reynolds expressed interest in joining the project. Aside from Reynolds, actor-director Kenneth Branagh also signed on for the film.

Mayday is part of the first-look partnership between Apple and Skydance Media. David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger of Skydance are producing the movie. Reynolds will also serve as a producer under the banner of his production company Maximum Effort. Ashley Fox and Johnny Pariseau are also producers under Maximum Effort.

Carin Sage is overseeing the film under Skydance. Mindy Marin is in charge of casting for the upcoming picture.

Goldstein and Daley recently directed Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves for Paramount. They also directed the action-comedy Game Night and wrote Spider-man: Homecoming.

What Will Mayday Be About?

As for what Mayday will be about, expect an action-adventure that is said to take place in 1987 during the Cold War. In a report by the Budapest Reporter, Mayday follows naval aviator Lieutenant Troy “Apache” Brennan. Troy gets involved in a top-secret surveillance mission in Soviet airspace. Things start to go downhill when Troy is forced to eject, landing in the Russian wilderness.

However, Troy’s fate changes when he meets Russian Nikolai Ustinov. The pair ally as they tread through dangerous physical and political terrains. When they cross hostile territory to find a safe passage home, the growing threat of the Cold War looms over them.

The Cast of Mayday

As mentioned above, Mayday will star Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh. Reynolds plays Lieutenant Troy Brennan, and Branagh plays Nikolai Ustinov. Further descriptions of their characters are still unknown. No further actors have been announced for the cast at this time. 

The upcoming project will be a reunion for Reynolds and Apple. The Deadpool star appeared in the Christmas musical Spirited alongside Will Ferrell. Reynolds also has ties with Skydance, which produced his Netflix feature The Adam Project. Reynolds also returns as the merc with a mouth for Deadpool 3 in the Summer of 2024.

His upcoming film Imaginary Friends (now officially titled IF) will also premiere in 2024.

As for Branagh, the actor-director had a busy 2023, having starred in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. In September 2023, Branagh starred and directed A Haunting in Venice. Branagh starred in the third Agatha Christie film adaptation alongside Tina Fey, Michelle Yeoh, and Jamie Dornan. He also starred and directed a production of King Lear that premiered at the Wyndham Theater in London.

Mayday Movie Release Date Speculation

There is no official release date yet for Mayday. However, filming is set to start on March 11, 2024. Mayday will be shot in Montreal, Canada, Budapest, Hungary, and San Diego, California, under the working title “Blackbird.” Production is set to continue through June 19, 2024.

Because filming has yet to begin, it might be a while before a trailer for the upcoming film is released. It is also unclear if the film will have a theatrical release or go straight to Apple TV+.

Meanwhile, Reynolds will be appearing in two films for 2024. The actor will make his reintroduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Deadpool 3 alongside Hugh Jackman. The third Deadpool installment is set to premiere on July 26, 2024. Reynolds will also be appearing in IF, directed by John Krasinski, and is set to come out on May 16, 2024.