Taylor Sheridan has a knack for assembling stellar casts, whether he's populating the Yellowstone universe, giving Billy Bob Thornton room to roam in Landman, or putting the women of Lioness through the wringer. But his next big-screen project, the action thriller F.A.S.T., is already generating buzz thanks to a surprising casting twist involving Sam Claflin.
In an exclusive chat with Collider while promoting his role in Ebenezer, Claflin opened up about how Sheridan personally reached out to him with a last-minute change of plans. The actor had originally auditioned for one character, but Sheridan called to offer him a different part—one that Claflin had secretly hoped to land all along.
“I remember Taylor calling me. Because originally I auditioned for one role, and they were like, 'Actually, we want you to play this role.' And I was like, 'I actually preferred this role!'” Claflin shared. “This is the one I really wanted to do because he’s a bit… He’s a wild one, you know, and I think that that gave me a lot of opportunity to have a lot of fun. I took a risk. We’ll see how it plays out.”
The actor, known for his roles in The Hunger Games and Peaky Blinders, is clearly excited about the departure. While he remained tight-lipped about plot details, he hinted that audiences might not recognize him in this one. “It’s a very, very different role for me to be doing, and I am so curious to see it,” he said. “People I know have seen it, and are like, 'Wow. Okay. This is wild. Wow, what a departure for you.' So, out of anyone in the cast, I think I’m the one who sort of really took a punt and took a big risk.”
Directed by Ben Richardson—a longtime Sheridan collaborator who shot 1883 and 1923—F.A.S.T. is written by Sheridan himself. Claflin had nothing but praise for the director, saying, “Ben’s definitely the man to have shot this story and this world. I don’t think I can say anything at the moment. All I know is it was an amazing experience, an amazing script, a great cast, and it was a hell of a lot of fun.”
When pressed about whether he deliberately went bigger with the performance, Claflin stayed coy but enthusiastic. “Again, I don’t want to tease too much. I just had a lot of fun. I had a lot of fun on that job, and I hope it pays off, basically. But the film, I’m excited to see it,” he said.
F.A.S.T. is slated for a theatrical release on May 14, 2027. With Sheridan’s track record and Claflin’s willingness to take risks, this is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated action movies of the year. For more on the biggest upcoming films, check out our list of the most anticipated action movies of 2026-27.
As for Claflin, his recent work includes the critically split Ebenezer, where he stars opposite Johnny Depp. And if you're a fan of Sheridan's TV universe, you might want to see where Reacher season 5 stands.
