Daisy Ridley, best known for her breakthrough role as Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, is once again stepping into the world of high-stakes action.
She has officially signed on to play the lead role in The Good Samaritan, a pulse-pounding action thriller directed by Pierre Morel, the filmmaker behind Taken and Peppermint.
This move signals Ridley’s growing ambition to take on physically demanding, emotionally complex characters outside the galaxy far, far away.
A New Chapter for Ridley
For Daisy Ridley, The Good Samaritan represents a natural evolution in her career. After years of playing Rey, a character defined by her connection to destiny and the Force, this new role offers something refreshingly different.
In The Good Samaritan, she portrays Dr. Rosalind Carver, a successful entrepreneur whose compassion leads her and her husband into a deadly conspiracy far from home.
This is not the first time Ridley has ventured into action-thriller territory. Earlier in 2025, she starred in Cleaner, a film directed by Martin Campbell, in which she performs physically demanding stunts and navigates intense sequences.
Her readiness to engage with action-heavy roles makes her a fitting choice for Morel’s new action-thriller project.
The Premise
The premise of The Good Samaritan promises to be both intimate and expansive. Dr. Rosalind Carver and her husband Matt believe they are rescuing a wounded man stranded off the coast of Indonesia.
But what begins as an act of altruism quickly spirals into catastrophe: within hours, their yacht disappears, Matt is kidnapped, and they find themselves entangled in a dangerous web of pirates and corrupt officials.
Rosalind’s only ally becomes Sean Fuller, a private military contractor whose past is as murky as his motives. Together, they must navigate betrayal, violence, and distrust in a remote and treacherous land—where help is scarce and danger lurks at every turn.
Behind the Camera
The creative team behind The Good Samaritan brings together talent with formidable action credentials. Pierre Morel, the director, is known for crafting gritty, adrenaline-fueled stories, as seen in films like Taken.
The screenplay is written by Matthew Ian Cirulnick, who previously worked on Rambo: Last Blood, which gives the project a pedigree in action-thriller writing.
On the production side, the film is backed by Canton Entertainment, Oakhurst Pictures, Sentient Entertainment, and more, with producers like Mark Canton, Dorothy Canton, Renee Tab, and David Hopwood.
Morel and Cirulnick themselves will serve as executive producers, providing continuity between the creative vision and the storytelling.
A Break for Ridley
The casting is quite significant for Ridley because it underscores her versatility as a very capable actress.
While she will always be strongly associated with her iconic Star Wars performance, The Good Samaritan offers her a chance to break free of that legacy and explore a character in a completely different environment.
Rosalind Carver is not a warrior of light or darkness, but a deeply human figure—intelligent, compassionate, and willing to risk everything for what she believes is right.
Director Morel seems equally confident in Ridley’s abilities. He has praised her for her intelligence and her composure under pressure, noting that she brings a “palpable poise” that will be essential in navigating the film’s emotional and physical perils.
Their collaboration suggests that The Good Samaritan will be both a character-driven drama and a sharp, suspenseful action film.
Bigger Picture
Ridley’s attachment to The Good Samaritan is part of a broader strategy to expand her range and take on more daring, high-concept projects. According to reports, production is slated to begin in spring 2026 in Brisbane, Australia, which signals serious commitment and scale.
Her growing slate of films now includes not only this thriller but also Killa Bee, where she plays an ex-nurse turned MMA fighter. Such choices reflect her desire to challenge herself physically and emotionally, pushing past any typecasting that her early career might have imposed.
