Daisy Ridley is set to take the lead in upcoming action-thriller The Good Samaritan for Taken and Peppermint director Pierre Morel.

Highland Film Group are handling International sales on the feature, with CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group co-representing U.S. domestic rights. Production is set to begin in spring 2026 in Brisbane, Australia on the Gold Coast.

The film, based on an original screenplay from Rambo: First Blood screenwriter Matthew Ian Cirulnick, sees Star Wars and The Young Woman and the Sea star Ridley play successful entrepreneur Dr. Rosalind Carver. Together with her husband Mark, she rescues a wounded man drifting off the coast of Indonesia, believing she’s saving a life – not stepping into a deadly conspiracy. Within hours, their yacht vanishes, Matt is abducted, and paradise turns into a trap. Hunted by pirates and imprisoned by corrupt officials, Rosalind’s only hope lies in Sean Fuller, a private military contractor whose motives are as mysterious as his past. Together, they must navigate a maze of deceit and violence in a land where no one can be trusted.

The Good Samaritan is produced by Mark Canton (300, Power, Den of Thieves) and Dorothy Canton (Arthur The King, Power) of Canton Entertainment, Oakhurst Pictures (Canary Black, Hotel Tehran), Renee Tab (Freelance, Sound of Freedom) of Sentient Entertainment and David Hopwood (Den of Thieves). Executive producers include Morel, Matthew Ian Cirulnick, Ryan Winterstern, and Delphine Perrier and Arianne Fraser from Highland Film Group, with Canton Entertainment’s Karley Ferlic serving as a co-producer.

“What I love about Matt’s writing is the raw realism of the characters and their intense predicament, elevated by the Hitchcockian, noirish collision of two damaged souls from opposite worlds,” said Morel. “Daisy exudes such palpable intelligence, and poise under pressure; watching her navigate a foreign world where every element, nature, people and even fate seems stacked against her will be thrilling. I’m excited about the cast coming together. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Added Highland Film Group CEO Arianne Fraser: “What a thrill to collaborate with a director of Pierre Morel’s caliber who ranks among the world’s top action directors. The prospect of working with Daisy Ridley on this high-stakes action thriller – where her character pushes past every limit – truly energizes us.”

“The stars have aligned and I am absolutely delighted to be working with action maven Pierre Morel and the brilliant Daisy Ridley on this complex and electrifying thriller,” said Mark Canton. “The Good Samaritan is such a smart and riveting story and we cannot wait for cameras to roll on this fantastic project.”

By Alex Ritman, Variety