Keanu Reeves Sets CIA Action Thriller KILL CURRENT as His Next Potential Franchise

Keanu Reeves has found his next potential action franchise, and this one throws him straight into the dangerous world of global espionage.

Keanu Reeves is set to star in Kill Current: A Jon Hendricks Thriller, an adaptation of Oliver Lowe’s upcoming novel. The Arena has preemptively acquired the project and will finance and produce the film, with Reeves also producing alongside Alexandra Grant through their newly revealed production company, Two Dragonflies.

The project marks the first production to come from Two Dragonflies, making Kill Current a pretty significant launch for Reeves and Grant’s new venture.

Kill Current introduces Jon Hendricks, a burned-out CIA officer who gets pulled back into the game after the protégé he trained is killed. Hendricks sets out for revenge, kicking off an international thriller involving shifting alliances, technological warfare and a battle over some of the world’s most valuable resources.

The book is the first installment in a planned Jon Hendricks thriller series and will be published by Zando in May 2027. The Arena has already released a teaser for the project that you can watch below.

Erik Feig, CEO of The Arena, sees Reeves as a perfect fit for the type of action franchises the studio wants to build.

“This project further underlines our focus on launching high-concept IP for global audiences across different media. Keanu Reeves is a singular talent and synonymous with the kind of intelligent action franchises we are aiming to make.

“We are thrilled to work with him and Alexandra Grant and equally thrilled that Matt Reilly and Melissa Goodall were able to swoop in and get this!”

The material also gives Reeves something different to jump into. Jon Hendricks sounds less like an unstoppable killing machine and more like a worn-down intelligence operative forced back into a dangerous world he thought he'd left behind.

Zando founder and CEO Molly Stern explained what makes Lowe’s story particularly timely: “Oliver Lowe’s masterful story, the first in his upcoming Jon Hendricks series, is poised to reinvent the geopolitical thriller for the modern era.

“Kill Current is rooted in the issues shaping today’s world — semi-conductors, global supply chains, technological and information warfare. It delivers the fast-paced, globe-trotting read and complex, intriguing characters that thriller fans of any era crave.”

Those elements could make for a cool modern espionage movie, especially with Reeves in the lead. It also arrives as the actor continues expanding his action résumé beyond John Wick.

Reeves is clearly excited about taking on Hendricks while using the film to introduce Two Dragonflies. He said: “I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to develop the character Jon Hendricks with these wonderful collaborators and that this is the project that launches Two Dragonflies which I share with my partner, Alexandra Grant.”

Grant added: “Taking Kill Current from publishing into film form, and aligning with The Arena, Oliver Lowe and Zando is the kind of creative work Keanu and I have set up Two Dragonflies to do.”

Reeves and Grant created Two Dragonflies with ambitions that stretch well beyond movies. The company plans to develop stories across film, television, animation, art, comic books, games and literature.

Reeves also has several other projects on the horizon, including Warner Bros.’ sci-fi film Shiver and The Entertainment System Is Down from Palme d’Or-winning filmmaker Ruben Östlund.

The Arena is a relatively new player. Former Lionsgate film chief Feig launched the Saudi-backed independent studio in October 2025 with an emphasis on building franchises for modern fandom.

Several of its announced projects fall under the South Town banner and draw from SNK’s interconnected video game universe.

Those include Fatal Fury, written by David S. Goyer; animated series Fatal Fury: The Vow with Skybound; the Godfather-inspired Geese, written and directed by Grant Singer; and adaptations of Art of Fighting, Metal Slug and Samurai Shodown.

Kill Current has franchise potential baked into the source material. If the first film connects with audiences, Reeves could have another recurring action character on his hands.