Alan Ritchson’s Prime Video Action Comedy Looks Set to Come Out and Play Again With Unexpected Sequel Update
Not content with his ongoing successful role as Jack Reacher, and a potential DCU role now in the offing, Alan Ritchson looks like he is about to get another franchise started with Playdate on Prime Video. The action comedy may have just dropped on the platform on November 12, but director Luke Greenfield revealed in a recent ScreenRant interview that plans for a sequel…and more…are already being discussed.
Ritchson has been the driving force behind some big movies in recent years, but soon the actor is going to end up with a slate backlog, especially if he ends up being involved in several big franchises. While that may be a while away, Playdate 2 seems like it is almost a given, even if Greenfield was not really focusing on that when making the first movie. He said:
“I mean, this is a massive franchise. Everyone knows it. When I go into a movie, I’m just so focused, again, as a writer-director, on making the film great. I don’t really go in usually of like, “Okay, how do I make four of these?” Because you’ve got to have the foundation. When you go to Lethal Weapon, when you go to Beverly Hills Cop, those originals are so fantastic. And then, when you make it just outstanding, the world is like, “Where’s the next one?” Obviously, Amazon is primed to go, and I’ve begun talking to Neil about that. We actually have some very funny ideas for what’s next. I’m sure that’s gonna start happening pretty quick.”
Can ‘Playdate’ Get Around Some Terrible Reviews?
As a streaming exclusive, Playdate was always guaranteed to get a big win on its debut, and, as expected, has leaped straight into the Prime Video chart without any real effort. However, the reviews have been pretty brutal, and while this could be a death knell for an upcoming cinema release, as many Adam Sandler Netflix movies have proven, for Playdate it won’t make a difference to the number of people watching.
Critics have called the movie “remarkably stupid,” a “bottomfeeder,” and even “the genre’s executioner.” Pretty harsh, which has ultimately led to its current 17% Tomatometer score. Viewers have also reacted negatively to the movie, but have not gone quite as hard as critics. While most seem to have landed it in the “it’s ok” category, some have really enjoyed it, with one even raving, “Who’d [have] thought Alan Ritchson, Reacher himself, would co-headline the funniest movie I have seen in 2025.” This stacks up as a nice counterbalance to “Painfully bad. There’s zero story and no plot development.”
In the end, comedy is probably one of the most subjective genres of film out there, and getting just half the people in an audience laughing in cinemas can be a tough ask. Whether Playdate’s humor does it for you, or is just too wacky and illogical to be enjoyed, it cannot be denied that Alan Ritchson is becoming a big draw for audiences, and the movie is doing just fine on the back of it.
Release Date
November 12, 2025
Director
Luke Greenfield
Producers
Jeff Sussman, Kevin James, Neil Goldman, Alan Ritchson, Dan Spilo, Mark Fasano, Sean Patrick O’Reilly, Jeffrey Greenstein, Nathan Klingher, Jason Benoit
