Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh team up in Apple TV+'s 'Mayday' trailer

Apple Original Films has released the first trailer for Mayday, an upcoming action-comedy starring Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh. The Cold War-set film will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on September 4.

The story follows Lieutenant Troy "Assassin" Kelly, played by Reynolds, a confident U.S. Navy pilot assigned to a top-secret mission inside Soviet territory during the height of the Cold War. When the operation goes disastrously wrong, Kelly finds himself stranded behind enemy lines with little hope of escape.

His fate changes after he is discovered by Nikolai Ustinov, portrayed by Branagh, a former KGB agent with an unexpected fascination for American culture. Despite their opposing backgrounds, the pair form an unlikely alliance that could help Kelly return home while developing an unexpected friendship along the way.

The newly released trailer opens with Kelly entering Soviet airspace before awakening tied to a bed after being rescued by Nikolai. The former KGB officer explains that he performed emergency surgery on Kelly's injured leg without proper anaesthesia, setting the tone for the film's mix of action, humour and unlikely camaraderie.

The supporting cast includes Marcin Dorociński, Maria Bakalova and David Morse.

Mayday is written, directed and produced by filmmaking duo John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. The project is produced by Skydance Media's David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger alongside Ashley Fox and Johnny Pariseau for Maximum Effort. Ryan Reynolds and George Dewey also serve as producers, while John G. Scotti joins the project as an executive producer.

The film marks another collaboration between Apple Original Films and Skydance Media, combining high-stakes action, Cold War espionage and buddy-comedy elements ahead of its streaming debut on Apple TV+ this September.