Apple TV launches action-comedy 'Mayday' starring Reynolds and Branagh
Apple TV has released the 1987-set action comedy 'Mayday', featuring an American Navy pilot rescued by a quirky ex-KGB agent in the Soviet wilderness.
Set in 1987, 'Mayday' tells the story of Lieutenant Troy Kelly, a U.S. Navy pilot whose secret reconnaissance mission over the Soviet Union ends in disaster when his jet is downed. After ejecting, Kelly awakens in a remote forest cabin where he is captured by Nikolai Ustinov, a bearded ex-KGB agent who decorates his hideout with American memorabilia and repeatedly watches a bootleg copy of 'Top Gun'. Ustinov offers to help Kelly in exchange for political asylum and a chance to travel to the United States with his daughter Anna.
Their uneasy partnership is tested by the relentless pursuit of Soviet official Volkov, portrayed by Marcin Dorocinski. Directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, the film mixes kinetic action set pieces with comedic moments, supported by a cast that includes Ryan Reynolds, Kenneth Branagh, Louis Cancelmi, Maria Bakalova and David Morse.
Why it matters
The release shows how streaming platforms are expanding original action-comedy content with high-profile talent.
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