Jason Momoa’s new Prime Video film, The Wrecking Crew, was impressed by a profitable motion franchise that launched in 1987. The actor is finest recognized for starring on Sport of Thrones and in Aquaman.
Now he is teaming up with Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Dave Bautista for The Wrecking Crew, which facilities round two half-brothers who’re compelled to work collectively to be able to uncover the thriller behind their father’s demise.
In an interview with ScreenRant‘s Liam Crowley for The Wrecking Crew, Momoa and screenwriter Jonathan Tropper revealed the origins of the movie’s premise and the way it serves as an unofficial revival of the Deadly Weapon franchise.
Momoa needed to make a film set in Hawaii that paid homage to Deadly Weapon and Tango & Money. The concept had been simmering in his thoughts for about 20 years.
The actor reached out to Bautista after they have been each starring within the Apple TV sequence See and stated, “Let’s get out of this mud and this blood, and let’s go make a modern-day comedy. One thing that we love, like a buddy cop film.” Bautista liked the thought and tweeted it out for everybody to see.
“That is about twenty years of me simply arising with a movie that I needed to try this could be actually enjoyable at dwelling, again in Hawaii. And so with out entering into an excessive amount of particulars about that, I simply had it. I pitched it to Dave as a result of we had an exquisite working relationship. He performed my brother in See and I used to be like, ‘Let’s get out of this mud and this blood and let’s go make a modern-day comedy.’ One thing that we love, like a buddy cop film. We each love Tango & Money, Deadly Weapon. Clearly, it is an homage to them. These are nice films and we needed to do one thing like that. And he was like, ‘Sure, sure, sure.’ And he tweeted that s*** out.”
Momoa’s agent reached out to him, questioning what was occurring. The actor had no concept that Bautista had shared something on social media since he is not energetic on Twitter (now often called X).
Nonetheless, the metaphorical wheels have been already in movement, and writers began pitching themselves to write down the script, with Tropper being chosen. “He actually is aware of the way to write for me and Dave,” admitted Momoa.
“And I acquired a name from my agent going, ‘What are we doing?’ And I am like, ‘I do not know what you are speaking about. I haven’t got Twitter.’ After which I might go to work and I am like, ‘Bro, you simply made all that occur.’ And so then writers have been placing of their resumes to write down for it. And it ended up being Jonathan Tropper who gained the pitch, who’s our showrunner, which is hilarious. And he actually is aware of the way to write for me and Dave and I like him. He is a pal. And so Tropper has been our man and he simply took it to the following stage. And yeah, there we’re.”
Tropper had already labored with Momoa and Bautista as showrunner, government producer and author on See. The three bonded over their “mutual love for the late ’80s, early ’90s motion films.”
After See resulted in 2022 and Bautista tweeted about Momoa’s film concept, one of many actors reached out to Tropper and stated, “Hey, you bought to throw your hat within the ring for this.”
“I haven’t got an incredible chronological recollection, however once we have been all doing See collectively, we had found our mutual love for the late ’80s, early ’90s motion films, Shane Black and that sort of stuff. We had talked about it for some time. Then See ended. We went our separate methods. At one level, I believe proper across the time the place Dave despatched out that tweet that began the entire thing rolling, they started getting inundated with stuff. I forgot if it was Dave or Jason who referred to as me first and stated, ‘Hey, you bought to throw your hat within the ring for this.’ I informed them I needed to do it with them after which we simply determined to do it collectively.”
By that time, Momoa had already give you the concept that The Wrecking Crew would focus on two estranged brothers in Hawaii and “coming to phrases with their father.” Momoa and Tropper had referred to as it “a Deadly Weapon in Hawaii.”
So far as the script was involved, Tropper consulted with each Momoa and Bautista on story concepts.
“Jason had all the time recognized he needed to be this type of estranged brother story in Hawaii and he needed it to be about these two brothers coming to phrases with their father and Hawaii. And in order that was all the time the germ of his concepts, eager to do, as we referred to as it, a Deadly Weapon in Hawaii. When it comes to creating the precise story, that was me in session with each of them.”
Because the saying goes, the remainder is historical past, and now the movie is being launched on Prime Video on January 28, as Momoa’s concept to create a Deadly Weapon in Hawaii lastly involves fruition.
Momoa and Bautista’s co-stars in The Wrecking Crew embody Claes Bang, Temuera Morrison, Jacob Batalon, Frankie Adams, Miyavi, Stephen Root, Morena Baccarin, Maia Kealoha, Lydia Peckham and Stephen Oyoung.
Blue Beetle‘s Ángel Manuel Soto directed the movie, with Momoa, Bautista, Jeffrey Fierson, Matt Reeves and Lynn Harris serving as producers.
Thus far, The Wrecking Crew has acquired largely constructive critiques, with a present Rotten Tomatoes rating of 82%.
The Deadly Weapon franchise, which consists of 4 movies and a three-season TV present, revolves round two law enforcement officials who work collectively to resolve crimes, regardless of their disparate personalities.
That premise is similar to The Wrecking Crew, since Momoa’s character is a cop and Bautista is taking part in a Navy SEAL. They’re estranged and have main disagreements with one another, however their father’s demise forces them to seek out frequent floor.
It is unsure whether or not Deadly Weapon 5 will ever be greenlit, so till extra information is revealed on that entrance, followers can try The Wrecking Crew, which pays homage to the buddy cop franchise.
The Wrecking Crew will probably be launched on Prime Video on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.
- Launch Date
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January 28, 2026
- Director
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Ángel Manuel Soto
- Writers
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Jonathan Tropper