Glen Powell is teaming up with an Oscar-winning director for a new firefighter movie. The actor has enjoyed a meteoric rise in recent years thanks to his star-making role as Hangman in Top Gun: Maverick, leading to roles in more blockbusters, including the rom-com Anyone But You and the disaster movie Twisters. Powell’s proliferation is set to continue with many more projects on the way, including The Running Man remake directed by Edgar Wright, the A24 thriller Huntington, and J.J. Abrams’ next movie.

Now, Powell has added another project to that list. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Powell is set to star in an untitled firefighter movie directed by Ron Howard. Amazon MGM Studios acquired an original pitch by Christina Hodson (Bumblebee, Birds of Prey, and The Flash) in a preemptive deal, who is set to write the screenplay that centers on two very different childhood friends, now successful firefighters, who must confront a series of deadly wildfires in Texas while also dealing with the complexities of their friendship.

What This Means For Ron Howard’s Firefighter Movie

Glen Powell Was Reportedly Starring In A Backdraft Remake

Glen Powell starring in Ron Howard’s firefighter movie should sound somewhat familiar since last summer, it was reported that Powell was starring in a remake of Backdraft, the 1991 action thriller directed by Ron Howard. That film follows two rival firefighters and brothers who team up to investigate a series of fires involving oxygen-induced infernos called backdrafts in Chicago. Though that remake seemingly isn’t happening, Powell will still have the opportunity to star in a firefighter movie directed by Howard.

On a podcast, Powell debunked reports of the Backdraft remake, saying it’s “not really a thing,” while also acknowledging that the firefighter milieu is “a world that’s ripe for exploration.” Based on his prior comments and the new report, Powell’s firefighter movie directed by Howard isn’t the Backdraft remake that was previously reported, and is instead an entirely original movie written by Christina Hodson, though its story does sound somewhat similar to the plot of the 1991 film.

Our Take On Glen Powell Starring In Ron Howard’s Firefighter Movie

He Continues Collaborating With Oscar-Caliber Directors

Starring in a firefighter movie directed by Ron Howard is a wise choice for Glen Powell. The actor has enjoyed a meteoric rise by collaborating with Oscar-nominated directors, such as Richard Linklater in Hit Man and Lee Issac Chung in Twisters, and is set to star in not only Oscar-winner Ron Howard’s firefighter movie, but also Barry Jenkins’ sci-fi film The Natural Order. A movie star’s career is heavily influenced by the strength of the directors they choose to work with, and Glen Powell is making advantageous decisions in that regard.

Source: THR

Glen Powell