Published by Eddie on 08/02/2026

Myself and site collaborater Tim Bentley were lucky enough to attend the Australian red carpet premiere of locally produced Netflix original War Machine on February 7th in Melbourne.

During the premiere we were able to grab a few moments with War Machine’s leading man Alan Ritchson.

Known to many as Jack Reacher in Prime’s hit Reacher series or fondly remembered from his time portraying Thad Castle in cult comedy series Blue Mountain State, War Machine is Ritchson’s biggest moment yet as a feature film leading man.

Coming all the way to Australia and New Zealand and getting thrown into the elements by director Patrick Hughes, it’s clear to see War Machine was a labour of love for all involved, as the below Netflix behind the scenes look showcases.

Playing 81, a grizzled combat veteran attempting to make it as an Army Ranger, 81 was clearly a role that resonated with Ritchson, who even got a lasting memory of the character immortalised in ink before the film began.

In our red carpet chat we discuss gruelling filming conditions, what 81 means to Ritchson and even a sneaky Thad related question (we couldn’t resist!)

Listen to the chat below.*

*forgive the audio quality, the room was buzzing with energy and in turn noise.

War Machine releases in Australian cinemas this week February 12th and will premiere worldwide on Netflix on March 6th.