Ron Howard has a knack for directing riveting movies based on real-life stories. So, it’s no surprise his next project is another one. Deadline reports that Howard will helm “Alone At Dawn,” a military drama, for Amazon MGM Studios. And he’s also lined up an intriguing leading tandem for the film in Adam Driver and Anne Hathaway, the first time the Hollywood veterans work together.
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Based on Dan Schilling and Lori Chapman Longfritz‘s 2019 book of the same name, “Alone At Dawn” tells the story of John Chapman, recipient of the Medal of Honor, and the last stand in Afghanistan in 2002 that led him to posthumously earn the military’s highest honor. An investigation after his death to prove his valor unveiled just how heroic Chapman’s last moments were, and made him the first Air Force Combat Controller to receive the Medal of Honor in almost fifty years. Michael Russell Gunn adapts the 2019 book for the big screen, with revisions by Erin Cressida Wilson and Amy Herzog. Also of note: Schilling will serve as a military consultant on the film, while Chapman Longfritz is Chapman’s sister.
Amazon MGM plans to bring “Alone At Dawn” to theaters, and that’s good news for Howard, as his previous two films, last year’s “Eden” and 2022’s “Thirteen Lives,” struggled to get wide releases. The film is also part of Amazon MGM’s newly renewed first-look deal with Howard and Brian Grazer‘s Imagine Entertainment. Other producers attached to “Alone At Dawn” include The Hideaway Entertainment, Thruline Entertainment, as well as Kristy Grisham, William Connor, and Patrick Newall, with Gunn also on board as an executive producer.
Chapman’s story is remarkable, but so is the journey “Alone At Dawn” had to make to reach the big screen. Thruline brought the manuscript to The Hideaway, leading the banner to option it before the book became a bestseller. Then, The Hideaway brought Gunn in to adapt the script before bringing it to Imagine. Howard, no stranger to helming movies based on riveting true-life films like “Apollo 13,” loved Gunn’s script so much he immediately signed on as director, roping in Amazon MGM in the process. Then, while looking for a leading man, Howard realized Driver, an ex-marine, had been searching for years for a movie project set in the military: “Alone At Dawn” fit the bill perfectly. Weeks later, Hathaway signed on to co-star, making it her next project after she wraps work on “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”
And “Alone At Dawn” will be the first time Driver and Hathaway work together. That was originally set to happen on James Gray‘s upcoming “Paper Tiger,” in production now, but Hathaway dropped out of the project before shooting. The actress has a busy release schedule for 2026 and beyond, with roles in Christopher Nolan‘s “The Odyssey,” “Flowervale Street,” and a new “The Princess Diaries” sequel. Hathaway also stars in David Lowery‘s “Mother Mary” over at A24, a long-delayed film that should reach audiences next year. As for Driver, Jim Jarmusch‘s Golden Lion-winner “Father Mother Sister Brother“ is his next film in theaters, with “Paper Tiger” and a movie directed by Chris Rock also on the way.
Stay tuned for more details on “Alone At Dawn,” which should hit theaters late next year or in 2027.
