Jake Gyllenhaal's Next Action Movie Is Something He's Done Only 4 Times Before (2024)

Jake Gyllenhaal's next action movie In The Grey will see him repeat an all-too-rare directing feat. Since his breakout role in cult favorite Donnie Darko, Jake Gyllenhaal's movie CV has evolved into one of the most interesting of his contemporaries. He occasionally turns up in the most mainstream projects imaginable (Spider-Man: Far from Home, The Day After Tomorrow, etc), but he often opts for more eclectic fare like Nightcrawler. In recent years, the star seems to enjoy making action films, fronting the likes of Michael Bay's Ambulance or Amazon hit Road House.

There's more action in Gyllenhaal's future too, including the upcoming In The Grey and Road House 2. The former is an ensemble adventure co-starring Henry Cavill and Eiza González though plot details are being kept under wraps, with the film due to arrive in 2025. With In The Grey, director Guy Ritchie underlines that he's one of Hollywood's busiest filmmakers, with the helmer having made big budget movies at a rate of about one per year since 2015's The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

In The Grey Is The Fifth Time Jake Gyllenhaal Has Reunited With A Director

Gyllenhaal and Ritchie must have made a covenant with one another

In The Grey will mark the second time Gyllenhaal has worked with Ritchie too. The pair last collaborated on the intense war drama The Covenant, which didn't do great business but received a healthy 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. The actor and director clearly had a good time working together, since In The Grey marks only the fifth time Gyllenhaal has worked with the same director.

Gyllenhaal has dozens of credits to his name, and the actor seemingly prefers to start from a clean slate with each new project. That also makes it significant when he does choose to work with the same filmmaker again, especially in the case of Ritchie, as there will only be a two-year gap between the releases of The Covenant and In The Grey.

His first time working returning with the same helmer was Stephen Gyllenhaal, who, as the surname suggests, is Jake's father. A Dangerous Woman and 1998's Homegrown provided young Gyllenhaal with some of his earliest roles. What's interesting is that the star only started reuniting with the same directors from the 2010s onward. His collaborations with Denis Villeneuve, Dan Gilroy and Antoine Fuqua all produced some of his best work too, with Gilroy's disturbing Nightcrawler often cited as featuring Gyllenhaal's most memorable performance.

Jake Gyllenhaal & Guy Ritchie's Reunion Should Continue After In The Grey

One more Guy Ritchie movie would break another Gyllenhaal record

It's too early to tell if In The Grey will be a success, though Ritchie is an assured hand with ensemble adventures. Assuming it's a hit, Gyllenhaal and Ritchie should continue their streak and make another movie. They obviously enjoy working together, while The Covenant and In The Grey let Gyllenhaal stretch different sides of himself. Plus, Gyllenhaal working with Ritchie after In The Grey would be the first time the star has worked with a director three times.

That said, breaking such a record is a flimsy reason to work with the same helmer again. It will be the quality of the script or the role that's more likely to tempt Gyllenhaal to a movie, but if Ritchie is armed with one (or ideally both) of those ingredients, another collaboration beyond In The Grey is feasible. It's unlikely Road House 2024 director Doug Liman will return for a sequel, so maybe Jake Gyllenhaal should give Ritchie a call about taking the sequel over too.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes

In the Grey (2025)

After a traumatic event, a seasoned wilderness guide and a grieving scientist find themselves stranded in the harsh Alaskan wilderness. Together, they must navigate the treacherous landscape and overcome their personal traumas to find a way back to civilization, forging an unlikely bond in the face of overwhelming odds.

Director

Guy Ritchie

Release Date

January 17, 2025

Writers

Guy Ritchie

Cast

Eiza Gonzalez , Jake Gyllenhaal , Henry Cavill , Rosamund Pike , Fisher Stevens , Emmett J Scanlan , Jason Wong , Christian Ochoa Lavernia

Main Genre

Action