EXCLUSIVE: Alan Ritchson is heading into the wilderness for a new unscripted series at Netflix.
The star of Netflix’s War Machine and Amazon’s Reacher is leading a survival competition series for the streamer.
It marks his first time fronting an unscripted series and comes over twenty years after he appeared on season three of American Idol, where he sang Stevie Wonder’s “You Are the Sunshine of My Life”.
The untitled series will see avid survivalist and experienced outdoorsman Ritchson lead a group of high-profile creators and headline-makers in asking whether when all the comforts of modern life are stripped away, can they rise to the challenge to survive or will they give in to the pressure. Competition, alliances, and egos collide as this group puts public reputations on the line, testing players’ self-reliance, problem-solving, and grit, per the logline.
Netflix has found success in the survival space with series such as Outlast, which comes from exec producer Jason Bateman. Set in the Alaskan wilderness, it has been renewed for a third season, and Alone, the History channel series that has found a big audience on the streamer and recently launched its eleventh season.
The series is produced by Bunim/Murray Productions, which is behind series such as MTV’s The Challenge, Hulu’s Vanderpump Villa and Lifetime’s The Chrisleys: Back To Reality. It previously produced survival series I Survived Bear Grylls, which ran for one season on TBS.
Ritchson exec produces alongside Julie Pizzi, Rupert Dobson, Gayani Wanigaratne and Jay Bienstock, who also serves as showrunner. John Faratzis is co-exec producer.
Ritchson is heading into season four of Reacher, which he also exec produces, and recently starred in feature film War Machine. He is starring opposite Owen Wilson in The Runner, directed by Scott Waughm, and holiday family comedy The Man With The Bag opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger. He also recently starred alongside Shailene Woodley and Ben Foster in action-thriller Motor City and in action buddy comedy Playdate with Kevin James. He is repped by Range, WME and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller, Gellman, Meigs & Fox.
