Glen Powell's Upcoming Comedy Is The Actor's Riskiest Movie Yet (But It's Already Paying Off)

Summary Writing and starring in Hit Man is Glen Powell's riskiest project, showcasing his acting versatility.

The film received positive reviews at its premiere, praising Powell's performance and Linklater's direction.

Hit Man, a Richard Linklater film, is a departure from his usual style, offering an entertaining showcase for Powell.

Glen Powell has risen through the ranks as one of Hollywood's most bankable stars, but his upcoming Netflix movie, Hit Man, is his riskiest project yet. The 35-year-old actor broke big with Top Gun: Maverick's $1.5 billion success despite playing a supporting role behind Tom Cruise and Miles Teller. In 2023, his romantic comedy with Sydney Sweeney, Anyone But You, became another commercial hit, preparing 2024 to be a pivotal year for him. Powell has been acting for over two decades, but 2024 is the first year where he'll star in a major summer blockbuster.

Glen Powell will lead the Twisters cast in the long-awaited sequel, which could be one of the year's most prominent commercial hits. The film reportedly has a $200 million budget and is set for a July release date, and yet, it still isn't his most risky project of the year. A month before, in June, Glen Powell will star in a Netflix film directed by revered independent filmmaker Richard Linklater, whom Powell worked on in 2016's Everybody Wants Some!!

Hit Man Puts Added Pressure On Glen Powell Since He Co-Wrote The Movie

Glen Powell Co-Wrote Hit Man, And The Film Should Demonstrate His Acting Versatility

Close

Hit Man is set to be Glen Powell's riskiest project yet, as it's the project he's been most involved with. Powell stars, but he also co-wrote the film with Linklater and serves as a producer. Richard Linklater's movies have rarely been commercial hits, but he's always involved a collaborative process, utilizing improvisation in movies like Dazed and Confused or co-writing with his stars for movies like Before Sunset. Richard Linklater's best movies have typically been coming-of-age, romance, or comedy, making Hit Man a strange but exciting installment.

Glen Powell is likely being offered more roles than ever at this stage in his career, typically oriented toward his overconfident, moderately arrogant type-cast from Top Gun: Maverick. For Powell to involve himself directly in a project like Hit Man, co-writing a film that allows him to demonstrate his versatility, he's likely hoping to prove he's capable of more than just one archetype. The Hit Man trailer even showed his character using several different aliases, meaning he'll have the chance to explore a range of personas.

Hit Man Is Already Showing Signs Of Success

Hit Man Received Positive Reviews After Its Premiere, Including Acclaim For Glen Powell

The film has already premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, where it was met with primarily positive reception from critics. The Rotten Tomatoes Critic Consensus reads, "Hit Man is an outstanding showcase for leading man Glen Powell -- and one of the most purely entertaining films of Richard Linklater's career." Hit Man seems to have paid off for both writers in the eyes of critics, with Powell getting to demonstrate his acting chops and Linklater securing what could be his first hit since Boyhood in 2014.