Kerry Washington becomes a full-fledged action star in the 2025 new movie Shadow Force. And with a fun cast behind her and a director known for some underrated action movies, this could be one to keep an eye on.
Turning initially under-the-radar action movies into hits has been a specialty of Lionsgate, the studio behind Shadow Force. Among Lionsgate’s slate of classic action movies are the John Wick franchise (including the upcoming John Wick spinoff, Ballerina), Den of Thieves 2: Pantera and Fall. Will Shadow Force be the next one to join that group?
We’ll have to wait to find out, but in the meantime, here is everything you need to know about Shadow Force.
Shadow Force release date
Shadow Force is now set to premiere exclusively in movie theaters on May 9. It previously was set to be released on May 2.
Shadow Force cast
Kerry Washington stars alongside Omar Sy as the main characters of Shadow Force, Kyrah and Isaac.
Washington is an Emmy-nominated actress (and Emmy-winning producer) probably best known for her role as Olivia Pope on Scandal, though she’s also memorably starred in TV series like Boston Legal, Little Fires Everywhere, Confirmation and Unprisoned. On the movie side she has starred in Ray, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Django Unchained, The Prom and, most recently, The Six Triple Eight.
Omar Sy is a French actor that came to international prominence with his role in the movie The Intouchables, which he followed up with some Hollywood blockbusters like X-Men: Days of Future Past and Jurassic World. More recently he has been seen in titles like The Book of Clarence. But Sy is best known for his role as Assane Diop in the Netflix series Lupin.
Others in the Shadow Force cast include Mark Strong (Dune: Prophecy), Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers), Cliff “Method Man” Smith (Power Book II: Ghost) and Jahleel Kamera (Manifest).
Shadow Force plot
From an original script written by Joe Carnahan and Leon Chills, here is the official synopsis of Shadow Force:
“Kyrah and Isaac were once the leaders of a multinational special forces group called Shadow Force. They broke the rules by falling in love, and in order to protect their son, they go underground. With a large bounty on their heads, and the vengeful Shadow Force hot on their trail, one family’s fight becomes all-out war.”
Shadow Force trailer
Get a sneak peek at the movie with the official Shadow Force trailer right here:
Shadow Force director
Joe Carnahan is also serving as the Shadow Force director. Carnahan has made his career making more mid-budget, under-the-radar action movies, many of which become fan favorites. Here’s a look at his directing resume to date:
- Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane (1998)
- Narc (2001)
- Smokin’ Aces (2006)
- The A-Team (2010)
- The Grey (2011)
- Stretch (2014)
- Boss Level (2020)
- Copshop (2021)
Carnahan was also an executive producer on the TV show The Blacklist, where he also directed a few episodes.
Shadow Force behind the scenes
While Lionsgate is the main studio label behind Shadow Force, the movie was also made in association with Media Capital Technologies, along with production companies Made with Love, Simpson Street and Indian Meadows.
Shadow Force producers include Kerry Washington, Pilar Savone, Stephen “Dr.” Love and Sterling K. Brown.
