Jason Momoa in Talks to Star in and Produce High-Seas Action Thriller

‘The Raid on a Pirate Ship’: Jason Momoa in Talks to Star in and Produce High-Seas Action Thriller ‘The Pirate’ for Amazon MGM

LOS ANGELES — Blockbuster powerhouse Jason Momoa is anchoring himself at Amazon MGM Studios once again, entering advanced negotiations to both produce and star in a high-concept maritime action thriller tentatively titled The Pirate.

The project, which is being fast-tracked by the studio following a competitive bidding environment, aims to pair the Aquaman star with The Fall Guy and Bullet Train director David Leitch, who is attached to produce and is currently positioned to direct.

If the deal is formalised, The Pirate will add another heavy-hitting asset to Momoa’s increasingly crowded 2026 release calendar, further cementing his status as one of Hollywood’s most reliable independent action anchors.

A Brutal Shift Away from Whimsy

While Disney continues to leave its multi-billion-pound Pirates of the Caribbean franchise locked away in developmental limbo, Amazon MGM is looking to aggressively plug the gap in the theatrical market, albeit with a much darker, visceral twist.

According to insiders close to the studio, the script penned by screenwriter Will Dunn, is being pitched creatively to executives as “The Raid set on a pirate ship.”

Rather than leaning into the eccentric, supernatural fantasy elements synonymous with Johnny Depp’s era of seafaring films, The Pirate is designed as a gritty, stripped-back, and uncompromisingly violent survival thriller. The narrative will reportedly focus on a relentlessly athletic, claustrophobic series of hand-to-hand combat sequences staged across the creaking decks and tight corridors of a rogue vessel trapped in open waters.

An Elite Action Alliance

The logistical architecture behind the film suggests a top-tier action showcase. By bringing David Leitch's 87North production banner into the fold, the film will benefit from the same stunt-heavy creative infrastructure that masterminded John Wick, Atomic Blonde, and Nobody.

The venture also represents a rapid, lucrative reunion between Momoa and Amazon MGM Studios. The two entities recently enjoyed a massive commercial victory in January 2026 with the streaming launch of the buddy-cop action comedy The Wrecking Crew, which saw Momoa team up with Dave Bautista to stellar viewership figures on Prime Video.

The Expanding 2026 Slate of Jason Momoa

A Busy Horizon

Momoa’s willingness to produce The Pirate via his own Pride of Gypsies production company aligns with his career-long effort to control his on-screen narratives. The actor has spent the early half of 2026 bouncing between massive cinematic universes, having recently wrapped filming on DC Studios' Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, where he portrays the galactic bounty hunter Lobo, alongside upcoming commitments to Street Fighter and Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Three.

Amazon MGM has also recently acquired another of Momoa’s former Universal projects, the action-comedy Shots! Shots! Shots!, indicating a concerted effort by the studio to keep the actor within their corporate family.

While contracts for The Pirate are still being finalised, production is tentatively aiming for a late 2026 or early 2027 start date, contingent on scheduling alignments between Leitch and his leading man.

For those looking to see the kind of high-energy chemistry Momoa brings to his collaborations with Amazon MGM Studios, you can watch The Wrecking Crew Official Trailer. This trailer gives an excellent taste of the actor's recent success on the platform alongside Dave Bautista, showing why the studio is so eager to keep him locked into new feature-length deals.