Gerard Butler is gearing up for his next adrenaline-fueled role, and this time he's taking a page straight out of the John Wick playbook. The actor has signed on to star in The Nest, a new action thriller from Thunder Road—the production company behind the Keanu Reeves-led franchise—and Black Bear. The project is set to hit the Cannes Market soon, and it promises to deliver the kind of high-stakes, tactical combat that fans of the genre crave.
Written by Aaron Benjamin, The Nest casts Butler as a top-tier military sniper who finds himself in a nightmare scenario: he must protect his family and 70,000 spectators from a ticking clock during a World Cup match. The script was developed with input from real military operatives, ensuring a level of authenticity that should appeal to fans of gritty, grounded action. Butler will also serve as a producer alongside Thunder Road's Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee, as well as Alan Siegel, Steve Klinsky, Jon Hersh, and Mahal Sourgose. Production is slated to begin in early 2027, though a director and release date have yet to be announced.
This news comes on the heels of a mixed 2026 for Butler. His long-awaited sci-fi sequel Greenland 2: Migration, co-starring Morena Baccarin, underwhelmed at the box office, grossing just $44 million worldwide against a $90 million budget—far below its estimated break-even point. However, Butler's fans had reason to cheer when it was revealed that his crime thriller In the Hand of Dante had been acquired by Netflix for a streaming release later this year.
Butler isn't slowing down. He's currently filming the live-action sequel to How to Train Your Dragon, in which he reprises his role as Stoick the Vast. The first live-action installment was a massive hit, earning over $630 million globally and becoming Butler's highest-grossing film to date. The sequel is set to hit theaters on June 11, 2027, via Universal Pictures. Additionally, Butler is expected to begin production on a third Den of Thieves movie with O'Shea Jackson Jr. soon, with a potential release in 2027 or 2028.
For fans of high-octane thrillers, The Nest is shaping up to be a must-watch. If you're looking for more pulse-pounding action, check out our list of top survival thriller movies of all time or dive into 7 Netflix thriller miniseries that are 10/10 but nobody remembers today. And for those who love a good rewatch, we've got thriller shows that are even better the second time.
Stay tuned to ShowtimeSpot for more updates on The Nest and all of Gerard Butler's upcoming projects.
