Just Announced · Lionsgate-Ride Or Die
Ride Or Die-"When Harry Met Sally — With Guns"
This one has been written in the stars since the moment you try to picture it: Marlon Wayans and Keke Palmer, two of the most charismatic, quick-witted, and genuinely funny people in Hollywood, playing mismatched detectives who fall into something complicated somewhere between a shootout and a slow burn. Lionsgate has acquired Ride or Die, a romantic buddy action-comedy starring the two — and the premise alone is already a good time.
The Setup
Ride or Die centers on two very different detectives forced into an unlikely partnership on a very high-stakes case. Robbery detective Martin Banks, played by Wayans, is a consummate professional — methodical, by-the-book, the kind of cop who files everything in triplicate. Narcotics detective Tami Moore, played by Palmer, is his precise opposite: an unapologetic force of nature who does not play by anyone's rules but her own.
When these two opposites are paired together, they're tasked with tracking down a billion-dollar cache of deadly opioids stolen from the vault of a multinational pharmaceutical company — drugs that, if not recovered, will flood the streets of Chicago. The mission is life-or-death serious. The chemistry between the leads is anything but.
He's the Professional
Marlon Wayans
as Detective Martin Banks
A robbery detective and consummate professional. By-the-book, methodical, and absolutely unprepared for what — and who — is about to turn his world upside down.
She's the Force
Keke Palmer
as Detective Tami Moore
A narcotics detective and unapologetic butt-kicker. She doesn't follow the rules — she outpaces them. Her instincts are legendary. Her patience for procedure is not.
When Harry Met Sally — With Guns
That's how Marlon Wayans describes it — and honestly, it's the most accurate elevator pitch possible. The film is being billed as the first romantic buddy-cop action comedy, a genre mash-up that has been hiding in plain sight for decades. The buddy-cop formula has always had chemistry baked into it, but Hollywood has rarely committed to letting that chemistry tip into something genuinely romantic, especially with Black leads at the center. Ride or Die is committing.
"When Harry Met Sally — with guns."
— Marlon Wayans, describing Ride or Die
Wayans wrote the screenplay alongside his longtime creative partner Rick Alvarez — and that collaboration carries real weight here. The two have worked together for years and understand how to build comedy that doesn't sacrifice character. Ride or Die is not a spoof. It is a genuine action film with a genuine romantic story and genuine stakes, executed by two performers who know exactly how to hold all of that at once without dropping any of it.
Keke Palmer at Full Momentum
There may be no performer in the industry operating with more momentum than Keke Palmer right now. She was just named NAACP Image Awards Entertainer of the Year. Her film I Love Boosters, directed by Boots Riley, just had its world premiere at SXSW and is arriving in theaters over Memorial Day weekend. She's currently starring in Peacock's comedy series The Burbs. Spaceballs 2 at MGM is coming. Her track record — from Nope to One of Them Days to Good Fortune to The Pickup alongside Eddie Murphy — reads like a masterclass in career architecture.
Keke Palmer — The Run She's On
SXSW World Premiere
I Love Boosters (Boots Riley) — Memorial Day 2026
Currently Starring
The Burbs — Peacock comedy series
Coming Soon
Spaceballs 2 (MGM)
Recent Films
Nope · One of Them Days · Good Fortune · The Pickup
NAACP Image Awards
Entertainer of the Year 2026
Emmy Winner
Outstanding Game Show Host — NBC's Password (2023)
Marlon Wayans at His Busiest
Wayans is equally in motion. He recently starred in Him, the Jordan Peele-produced horror project. He is currently starring in, writing, and producing Scary Movie 6 alongside the original cast — one of the most anticipated comedy sequels in years — which hits theaters June 5. His creative partnership with Rick Alvarez, who co-wrote Ride or Die and produces it with Wayans through their joint company Ugly Baby, continues to be one of the most prolific creative collaborations in Black Hollywood.
Marlon Wayans — What He's Building
Scary Movie 6 — June 5, 2026
Him (Jordan Peele, producer)
Ride or Die — Writer, Star & Producer
Wild Child Tour — Live Comedy
The Production Team
Behind the camera, Ride or Die is being produced by Wayans and Alvarez through Ugly Baby, alongside veteran producer Neal H. Moritz through his Original Film banner — the company currently in production on Highlander with director Chad Stahelski and Sonic the Hedgehog 4. Toby Ascher co-produces. Keke Palmer and her mother, Sharon Palmer, are in talks to executive produce — a family collaboration that reflects the personal investment both bring to the project. Lionsgate's Scott O'Brien is overseeing for the studio.
Project Details
Title
Ride or Die
Studio
Lionsgate
Genre
Romantic Buddy Action-Comedy
Stars
Marlon Wayans & Keke Palmer
Written By
Marlon Wayans & Rick Alvarez
Producers
Marlon Wayans & Rick Alvarez (Ugly Baby); Neal H. Moritz & Toby Ascher (Original Film)
EPs (in talks)
Keke Palmer & Sharon Palmer
Studio Exec
Scott O'Brien (Lionsgate)
Setting
Chicago
Status
Acquired — Director & Release Date TBA
Logline
"When Harry Met Sally — with guns." Two mismatched detectives. One billion-dollar drug bust. Sparks and bullets.
No director announced yet. No release date on the calendar. And Ride or Die is already one of the most exciting film announcements of 2026. Marlon Wayans and Keke Palmer together in a genre that has never quite been done this way before — romantic, action-packed, funny as hell, and centered entirely on two people who clearly have something to prove and something to feel. This one is going to be a lot. In the best possible way.