The Furious director Kenji Tanigaki teams up with Peter Dinklage for new Lionsgate action film The Reckoner

Following the success of The Furious, acclaimed action filmmaker Kenji Tanigaki is set to direct his next original feature, The Reckoner. The upcoming action film has already assembled an impressive creative team, with Peter Dinklage attached to star and John Wick creator Derek Kolstad writing the screenplay.

Kenji Tanigaki will direct The Reckoner, an original action thriller written by Derek Kolstad. Peter Dinklage is attached as one of the film’s lead stars, although the filmmakers have not yet revealed any plot details.

Lionsgate, which acquired the North American distribution rights to The Furious following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, has now also secured the rights to The Reckoner. The film will be produced by Anthony and Joe Russo’s AGBO.

Kolstad and Dinklage will also serve as producers alongside Angela Russo-Otstot for AGBO, David Ginsberg under Estuary Films, Michael Disco, and Kasse Whiting. James Myers and Pavan Kalidindi will oversee the project for Lionsgate, while Anthony and Joe Russo will executive produce.

The Reckoner marks another collaboration between Lionsgate and AGBO following the recently announced John Rambo feature, which will be directed by Jalmari Helander and star Noah Centineo.

Speaking about the project, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group president Erin Westerman said:

“One of the most rewarding parts of what we do is discovering filmmakers with distinctive voices, bringing their work to wider theatrical audiences and partnering with them as they take on projects of greater scale and ambition. That’s exactly what excites us about Kenji Tanigaki. The Furious showcases a singular filmmaking talent, and we’re thrilled to reunite with our friends at AGBO to bring his bold vision for The Reckoner to audiences worldwide.”

Angela Russo-Otstot, AGBO’s Chief Creative Officer, also praised the project, saying:

“Derek Kolstad and Peter Dinklage came to us with a world we hadn’t encountered before—original, action-packed and with genuine soul. The moment we saw what Kenji Tanigaki did with The Furious, his take on action was so unique and engaging that we knew immediately he was the only director who could bring this vision to life. We couldn’t be more thrilled to bring this remarkable collection of talent together with Lionsgate, whose commitment to bold, character-driven filmmaking makes them the perfect partner for this project.”

In addition to the upcoming John Rambo film, AGBO’s upcoming slate also includes Netflix’s The Whisper Man, Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday, and the third installment in the Extraction franchise.

The Furious follows Wang Wei (played by Xie Miao), a humble tradesman who is thrust into a dangerous world of corruption and violence after his daughter, Rainy, is abducted. His only ally is Ravin (played by Joe Taslim), a relentless journalist haunted by his own past. Together, they battle an international criminal network in a desperate race to rescue Rainy and uncover the truth.

In addition to directing films, Kenji Tanigaki is widely recognized as an award-winning stunt coordinator, fight choreographer, and action director, with credits spanning numerous Hong Kong and international productions. He is represented by Gersh and XYZ Films.

Peter Dinklage is currently filming the second season of FX’s Alien: Earth and is represented by CAA and Jackoway Austen.

Derek Kolstad is best known as the creator and screenwriter of the John Wick franchise. He also wrote and produced Nobody and is returning for its sequel, Nobody 2.

With Tanigaki stepping behind the camera once again and an experienced team led by Peter Dinklage, Derek Kolstad, Lionsgate, and AGBO, The Reckoner is shaping up to be one of the more closely watched action projects currently in development.