Movies - Run the Night : Chris Pine Fights to Survive in Lionsgate’s Bold New Action Thriller

By Mulder, 05 may 2025

When Lionsgate announces an action film, the industry listens—but Run the Night feels like a particularly electrifying step forward. Pairing the ever-charismatic Chris Pine with longtime stunt wizard and second unit director Robert Alonzo in his first turn at the helm, this film is already radiating serious high-octane potential. With its gritty Amsterdam setting, a relentless narrative arc involving betrayal, family, and redemption, and a jaw-dropping premise (a naked banker with a bounty on his head hunted across a city at night), this movie promises to be more than just another action flick—it’s a survival thriller layered with character depth, raw energy, and urban mythology. For action aficionados and fans of Pine’s versatile performances, Run the Night has the hallmarks of a future cult favorite.

The premise alone is irresistibly cinematic: a white-collar banker, wrongfully—or perhaps not so wrongfully—accused of crossing the infamous Dutch mob (the Penose), finds himself dumped, stripped of everything including his clothes, in the labyrinthine heart of Amsterdam. With a $10 million price on his head and sunrise ticking closer, he must claw his way through a city teeming with hitmen, thugs, and betrayal, all while protecting the lives of his wife and child. It's part John Wick, part After Hours, and part European noir fever dream. What's most intriguing is the central mystery: was he truly just the money guy, or is there more beneath that tailored exterior? Pine, known for injecting charm into the unlikeliest of anti-heroes, is ideally suited for a role that demands both vulnerability and visceral power. If you’ve seen his comedic timing in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves or his soulful gravitas in Hell or High Water, you know Pine has range. Here, he gets to flex both emotional and physical muscles—and as he’s also producing, you can bet he’s invested in this character arc.

Robert Alonzo, meanwhile, might just be the best-kept secret in action filmmaking. With over 200 credits, he’s choreographed chaos in everything from Deadpool to The Batman to the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World and Avengers: Doomsday. Alonzo’s fight choreography isn’t just about spectacle—it’s about storytelling through movement. Every punch and fall has emotional logic, a visual grammar all its own. This marks his first full feature as director, but it comes after decades of shaping the most iconic set pieces in recent Hollywood. Those who’ve watched the visceral street fights of The Flash or the balletic brutality of The Batman have already seen his signature. His debut through Run the Night is the equivalent of watching a veteran stunt conductor finally step onto the podium—expect it to be personal, sharp, and fiercely inventive.

Screenwriters John Glenn and Alex Davidson bring even more promise to the table. Glenn, who’s currently showrunning the Robin Hood series for MGM+, has a track record of crafting high-stakes thrillers like Eagle Eye and Elevation. His stories often blend conspiracy, emotional stakes, and fast pacing—and here, with Davidson, he seems to be delivering a story that’s both stripped down and layered. The idea of a man cast out into the night, both literally and morally naked, calls back to archetypal storytelling: Odysseus returning home, Jason Bourne without the amnesia, or even Michael Douglas in The Game. It's a night journey through hell—but through Amsterdam’s cobbled alleys, canals, and neon-lit criminal underworld.

The production is backed by Hidden Pictures, with heavyweights Todd Lieberman and Alex Young producing, alongside Pine and his Barry Linen banner partner Ian Gotler, and Glenn himself. Lieberman, already behind high-profile projects like War Machine, After Shock, and the upcoming Voltron, brings both prestige and reliability to the production. Lionsgate Motion Picture Group’s chair Adam Fogelson highlighted the film’s appeal perfectly when he noted Pine’s mix of “warmth and physicality”—a combination that will be essential for a lead who has to both dodge bullets and win over our sympathy. And Lieberman’s belief that “Rob Alonzo is the next great action director” doesn’t feel like hyperbole—it feels like a torch being passed.

What’s equally fascinating is how this film fits into Lionsgate’s broader strategy. With STARZ under its umbrella and a deep library of more than 20,000 titles, Lionsgate has been positioning itself as a studio that can punch far above its weight. It’s chasing bold, mid-budget thrillers—the kind that used to define adult cinema before tentpole dominance. Run the Night is exactly that: adult, intelligent, brutal, stylish. It speaks to a return of thrillers that are tactile, grounded, and yet totally cinematic.

Fans of urban-set thrillers and die-hard Chris Pine followers will want to keep an eye on this one. And if you're already a Robert Alonzo devotee, it’s a rare opportunity to watch a master craftsman finally step into the spotlight. The casting, premise, and behind-the-scenes firepower all point to a project that’s not just made to fill a calendar slot, but to turn heads. Whether it's a box office sleeper hit or a streaming sensation, Run the Night is poised to ignite serious buzz when it hits the screen.For now, all eyes are on Amsterdam—and the man who must fight to see the sunrise.

Photo: Copyright Tommaso Boddi

(Source : press release)