Denzel Washington and Christopher McQuarrie team for 2027 thriller

Denzel Washington will star in an untitled thriller to be directed by Christopher McQuarrie.

United Artists and Amazon MGM Studios have greenlit the project, meaning it has been formally approved for production, and set a theatrical release for 1 October 2027, according to Deadline. The title has not yet been finalised.

The story centres on a former police detective serving a life sentence. He is diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and granted compassionate release, leaving him with six months to live, Deadline reported. No further plot details have been disclosed.

Scott Barkan and Gregg Zehentner wrote the script. McQuarrie will produce alongside Heather McQuarrie, Scott Stuber, Nick Nesbitt, Joseph Restaino, Reza Moheet, Norman Aladjem, Katia Washington and Tommy Harper.

Tony Stopperan, Tim Honigman and Joe Guest will serve as executive producers, senior credits often tied to financing and creative oversight. The full producing team was detailed by Deadline.

McQuarrie directed the past four Mission: Impossible films. That run includes Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. The new project is an original thriller, separate from that franchise.

Washington recently returned to the Broadway theatre in Othello alongside Jake Gyllenhaal. He also starred in Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest.

He had planned to reunite with director Antoine Fuqua for a Netflix epic about Hannibal. Pre-production was halted over budget issues, according to Deadline. He will next appear in Netflix's The Take, formerly titled Here Comes the Flood, alongside Robert Pattinson and Daisy Edgar-Jones.

For fans, this means a clear date on the calendar. The film is locked for early October next year. Casting beyond Washington has not been announced.