THE GOOD SAMARITAN: Daisy Ridley Joins ‘Taken’ Director’s New Actioner Set For Q2 2026 Prod Start

Daisy Ridley (the Star Wars franchise, Young Woman and the Sea, Magpie) is set to star in the action-thriller The Good Samaritan for Taken and Peppermint helmer Pierre Morel. The film is based on an original screenplay from Rambo: First Blood screenwriter Matthew Ian Cirulnick.

When successful entrepreneur Dr. Rosalind Carver (Ridley) and her husband Matt rescue a wounded man drifting off the coast of Indonesia, they believe they’re saving a life – not stepping into a deadly conspiracy. Within hours, their yacht vanishes, Matt is abducted, and paradise turns into a trap. Hunted by pirates and imprisoned by corrupt officials, Rosalind’s only hope lies in Sean Fuller, a private military contractor whose motives are as mysterious as his past. Together, they must navigate a maze of deceit and violence in a land where no one can be trusted.

Mark Canton (300, “Power,” Den of Thieves) and Dorothy Canton (Arthur The King, “Power”) are producing for Canton Entertainment next to Oakhurst Pictures (Canary Black, Hotel Tehran), Renee Tab (Freelance, Sound of Freedom) of Sentient Entertainment and David Hopwood. Exec producing is Morel alongside Matthew Ian Cirulnick, Ryan Winterstern, and Delphine Perrier & Arianne Fraser from Highland Film Group, with Canton’s Karley Ferlic serving as a co-producer.

Highland Film Group is handling international rights to The Good Samaritan, with CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group co-representing U.S. domestic rights. Production is set to begin in Spring 2026 in Brisbane, Australia on the Gold Coast.

“What I love about Matt’s writing is the raw realism of the characters and their intense predicament, elevated by the Hitchcockian, noirish collision of two damaged souls from opposite worlds,” commented Morel who also said, “Daisy exudes such palpable intelligence, and poise under pressure; watching her navigate a foreign world where every element, nature, people and even fate seems stacked against her will be thrilling. I’m excited about the cast coming together. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

“What a thrill to collaborate with a director of Pierre Morel’s caliber who ranks among the world’s top action directors. The prospect of working with Daisy Ridley on this high-stakes action thriller – where her character pushes past every limit – truly energizes us,” said Fraser. “At Highland Film Group we are passionate about telling stories with scope, intensity and cinematic ambition, the kind of films that ignite audiences worldwide. We look forward to introducing our international distributors to The Good Samaritan as it combines all these elements,” added Perrier.

“The stars have aligned and I am absolutely delighted to be working with action maven Pierre Morel and the brilliant Daisy Ridley on this complex and electrifying thriller. The Good Samaritan is such a smart and riveting story and we cannot wait for cameras to roll on this fantastic project,” said Mark Canton. 

Ridley is represented by CAA & Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Morel is represented by UTA, Sentient Entertainment & Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller, Gellman, Meigs & Fox, L.L.P. Cirulnick is represented by Brillstein Entertainment Partners, Gersh, and Yorn Levine.

Lead image: Wikimedia Commons/SKwalker 14

Lee B. Golden III

fcsyndicate@outlook.com | Web

Native New Yorker. Been writing for a long time now, and I enjoy what I do. Be nice to me!