Mayday OTT release date is here: When and where to watch Ryan Reynolds starrer buddy action-comedy set during Cold War

Ryan Reynolds is returning with another action-comedy, but this time the actor is leaving the usual superhero setting behind for a Cold War adventure. His upcoming film Mayday pairs him with Kenneth Branagh in a story involving a secret mission, enemy territory and an unexpected friendship that could be the key to survival.

The film is set to arrive directly on streaming, giving fans of Reynolds another new release to watch at home. Here is everything you need to know about the Mayday OTT release date, streaming platform, cast and story.

Mayday OTT release date and where to watch

Mayday will premiere globally on September 4, 2026, on Apple TV+. The film is an Apple Original Film and will skip a traditional theatrical release before making its streaming debut.


Viewers with an Apple TV+ subscription will be able to watch the movie on compatible devices wherever the service is available. The streaming release gives the film a worldwide audience from its first day.

Apple TV announced the release date along with the film's trailer, which gives a look at Reynolds and Branagh's unlikely pairing.

What is Mayday about?

The story takes place during the Cold War in the 1980s and follows Lieutenant Troy “Assassin” Kelly, played by Ryan Reynolds. Kelly is a U.S. Navy pilot who is sent on a highly classified reconnaissance mission into Russian territory.

Things quickly go wrong, leaving him stranded behind enemy lines and in a dangerous wilderness. He needs help to get out, but the person who ends up becoming his unlikely ally is hardly an obvious choice.

That person is Nikolai Ustinov, played by Kenneth Branagh. Ustinov is a former KGB agent who has an unusual fascination with American culture.

The two men come from opposite sides of the Cold War, and they initially have little reason to trust each other. But their situation forces them to work together as they try to escape Soviet forces and survive the dangers around them.

The film mixes spy action and survival elements with comedy, making the relationship between the two leads a major part of the story.

Mayday cast and makers

Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh lead the cast as Troy Kelly and Nikolai Ustinov. The supporting cast includes Maria Bakalova, Marcin Dorociński, David Morse, Lovell Adams-Gray and Clark Johnson.

Mayday has been written, directed and produced by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, the filmmaking duo behind Game Night and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

The film is produced by Apple Original Films and Skydance Media. David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger are among the producers for Skydance Media, while Ashley Fox and Johnny Pariseau produce for Ryan Reynolds' Maximum Effort banner.

The movie is expected to combine Reynolds' familiar comedic style with Branagh's dramatic and comic presence. Their characters are thrown into a situation where survival depends on an alliance neither of them would have expected.

The movie has a runtime of around 1 hour and 50 minutes and carries a PG-13 rating for violence, action, language and suggestive content.