Alan Ritchson is quickly becoming one of the biggest action stars on the planet thanks to his explosive series, Reacher, and movies like Motor City, War Machine, and a 2025 hit that’s once again a global smash on Prime Video. Released last November, the action smash sees Ritchson play an enthusiastic dad on the run from both the military and the authorities.
Alan Ritchson Teams With Kevin James to Battle Mercenaries
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Kevin James & Alan Ritchson in Playdate Prime Video -
Prime Video -
PrimeVideo
Also starring Kevin James, Playdate premiered on Prime Video on Nov. 12, 2025, and became an immediate hit for the Amazon-owned platform. Directed by Luke Greenfield (The Girl Next Door, Half Brothers), it quickly shot up the charts to take first place, even with a dismal Rotten Tomatoes score.
Playdate stars Ritchson as Jeff Eamon, a stay-at-home dad new to a suburban neighborhood. Also occupying a house on the block is Brain Jennings, a recently fired forensic accountant played by James. Hoping to help his shy stepson make some friends, Brian arranges a playdate with Jeff’s boy, CJ (Banks Pierce).
However, what begins as an afternoon of fun at Buckee Cheese quickly turns to chaos when a team of armed mercenaries shows up to attack Jeff. It seems that the incredibly fit and enthusiastic father isn’t all he said he was. No, Jeff is a former Delta Force soldier in hiding, and his “son” isn’t really his son.
Featuring loads of explosive shootouts, minivan chases, playground battles, and plenty of laughs, Playdate also stars the likes of Alan Tudyk, Sarah Chalke, Stephen Root, and Isla Fisher. Despite being a major hit for Amazon last year, the film scored just a 23% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, earning it the dreaded green splat. Audiences did appreciate the action comedy a little more, giving it a 56% rating on the Popcornmeter. Called everything from “annoying and terrible” to a movie that’s “quite entertaining,” it’s clear that Playdate proved to be a divisive hit for Ritchson, and now, nearly nine months after its release, it’s returned to the charts to prove that its success was no fluke.
Prime Video Scores Big With ‘Playdate’ on Streaming
Despite all the negativity surrounding Playdate, the action comedy has once again become a global smash for Prime Video. Per Amazon News, for the week of July 20–26, the old-school buddy team up came in as the eighth most popular movie on the streaming service, sandwiched in between the Jason Statham action thriller, The Beekeeper, in ninth, and Your Fault: London in seventh. Check out the full Top 10 list below for the reporting period.
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Rank |
Title |
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1. |
Masters of the Universe |
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2. |
Project Hail Mary |
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3. |
The Sheep Detectives |
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4. |
A Working Man |
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5. |
Boulevard |
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6. |
Jack Ryan: Ghost War |
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7. |
Your Fault: London |
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8. |
Playdate |
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9. |
The Beekeeper |
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10. |
The Wrecking Crew |
Currently tearing it up in theaters in the action thriller, Motor City, next up for Ritchson is his return to Prime Video as Jack Reacher. The hit show based on the novels by Lee Child is heading into Season 4, which adapts the 13th book in the series, Gone Tomorrow. Look for the three-episode premiere to drop on Aug. 12, with the rest airing weekly thereafter until its conclusion on Sept. 16.
- Release Date
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November 12, 2025
- Director
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Luke Greenfield
- Producers
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Jeff Sussman, Kevin James, Neil Goldman, Alan Ritchson, Dan Spilo, Mark Fasano, Sean Patrick O’Reilly, Jeffrey Greenstein, Nathan Klingher, Jason Benoit
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