Exclusive: Josh Hartnett headlines Tommy Wirkola’s All Day & All Night
In a high-profile collaboration that blends thriller grit with high-stakes action, Josh Hartnett is set to star in and produce the upcoming film All Day & All Night. The project is written by Tommy Wirkola and John Niven, with Wirkola also directing. The Norwegian filmmaker behind Violent Night and the Dead Snow franchise will lead the movie, which is poised to become a centerpiece at AFM with global sales arranged by XYZ Films.
All Day & All Night centers on a reformed bank robber, Billy Davies, portrayed by Hartnett. As his daughter earns a spot at Harvard, Davies is drawn back into a life of crime to fund her tuition. When a bank heist spirals out of control, Davies and his crew accidentally stumble onto the set of a failing reality television show. The premise intensifies as the on-screen drama mirrors the real danger off-camera: Davies must stay on air long enough to plot an escape from pursuing cops and the mob, while the show’s producers scramble to keep the ratings high and the network from cancellation. The concept promises a tense blend of cat-and-mouse sequences, meta-commentary on reality TV, and explosive action typical of Wirkola’s wheelhouse.
Production and partners
XYZ Films will finance the project, with backing from IPR.VC. XYZ’s Guy Danella will oversee and produce All Day & All Night for the company. XYZ has a history of close collaboration with Wirkola, producing and financing prior projects such as the Norwegian film The Trip, which Netflix released in 2021, and supporting Wirkola on the English-language remake of Over Your Dead Body. The studio’s involvement signals a well-oiled production pipeline aimed at delivering the director’s signature blend of genre-bending energy and dark humor.
The film’s sale strategy is already underway, with AFM set to showcase the project to international buyers next month. The collaboration’s timing aligns with Wirkola’s busy slate, including Violent Night 2 and Sony’s Shiver, which star Phoebe Dynevor and are slated for release in 2026. Hartnett, meanwhile, continues to expand his genre repertoire as he nears release on MGM/Amazon’s Verity and the Netflix miniseries Untitled Newfoundland Project, keeping a strong cross-platform presence in film and streaming.
Industry context and expectations
All Day & All Night arrives at a moment when audiences are drawn to high-concept thrillers that fuse procedural tension with self-aware storytelling. Wirkola’s track record—combining action with inventive storytelling—suggests a project that could carve out a distinct niche within contemporary genre cinema. Hartnett’s ongoing versatility makes him a natural fit for a character who teeters between legitimate family man and criminal on the edge, a dynamic that promises both emotional stakes and adrenaline-fueled set pieces.
As with many modern action-thrillers, the film’s success will hinge on the balance between character depth and propulsive sequence work. Hartnett’s performance, combined with Wirkola’s knack for surprising tonal shifts, could yield a movie that resonates with fans of both classic heist dramas and contemporary meta-adventure stories. The collaboration with XYZ Films, a company accustomed to backing audacious genre projects, further strengthens the film’s potential for distinctive branding and strong festival or market presence post-AFM.
What comes next
Production is slated for 2026, with a globally conscious release plan in mind. For now, the industry watches as Hartnett and Wirkola assemble a “dream team” to bring All Day & All Night to life, with the promise of a hard-edged thriller that keeps audiences guessing and the show running—long enough for the perfect escape plan to unfold.
