Marlon Wayans and Keke Palmer are teaming up for a new genre-bending film that blends romance, action, and comedy.
Deadline reported that Lionsgate has acquired Ride or Die, a romantic buddy action-comedy with Wayans and Palmer attached to star. The project is already being positioned as a fresh take on the buddy-cop formula—with Wayans describing it as “When Harry Met Sally with guns.”
The film follows robbery detective Martin Banks (Wayans), a by-the-book professional, and narcotics detective Tami Moore (Palmer), an unapologetic force who doesn’t play by the rules. When the two are forced to partner up, sparks—and bullets—fly as they race to track down a billion-dollar cache of stolen opioids taken from a multinational pharmaceutical company.
The stakes are high: if they fail, the drugs could flood the streets of Chicago.
Wayans co-wrote the screenplay alongside Rick Alvarez, continuing their long-standing creative partnership. The two will also produce the film through their company Ugly Baby. Additional producers include Neal H. Moritz and Toby Ascher via Original Film. Keke Palmer and Sharon Palmer are currently in talks to executive produce.
Scott O’Brien is overseeing the project for Lionsgate, with deal negotiations handled by Robert Melnik.
For Wayans, Ride or Die adds to an already busy slate. He recently starred in Him, produced by Jordan Peele, and is set to reunite with the original cast of Scary Movie for a new installment, which he also co-wrote and is producing.
Palmer continues to build one of the most versatile careers in Hollywood. She recently premiered I Love Boosters at SXSW and stars in Peacock’s The Burbs. Her upcoming slate also includes Spaceballs 2, Amazon’s The Pickup alongside Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson, and Aziz Ansari’s Good Fortune. She was also named NAACP Entertainer of the Year and won an Emmy in 2023 for NBC’s Password.
With Ride or Die, both stars step into a space that’s rarely explored—romance woven directly into a high-stakes action-comedy—making this one to watch as Lionsgate continues to expand its theatrical slate.