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Benedict Cumberbatch has been cast as the lead in The Last Flight, a thriller inspired by real events and the story of Kirk Wallace Johnson. The film takes place amidst the turmoil surrounding the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and focuses on the kind of high-handed logistics, impossible choices, and trust that must be quickly built.
Directed by BAFTA-winning filmmaker Babak Anvari (Under the Shadow), the screenplay was written by author and former USAID coordinator Johnson himself, whose real-world work influences the story.
Deadline broke the news, reporting that Cumberbatch will play an American man who helps persecuted people escape safely from Iraq and Afghanistan, and the script is set in the final days of a 20-year war.
A thriller built around the ants’ race to the border
The film tells the story of Ali, a young Afghan man who is “fighting for the lives of his entire family to find a safe escape from Afghanistan before being sent to certain death.” To reach the border, he must trust Kirk Johnson. He is a “stranger American 7,000 miles away, desperately trying to end the war.”
Dave Bishop, CEO of Protagonist Pictures, said The Last Flight was “a rare thriller that combines edge-of-your-seat suspense with deep humanity,” claiming that Anvari brings “an extraordinary sense of urgency and compassion” to the material while rooting its momentum in “the deep human choices that define us.”
Kirk Wallace Johnson’s real-world story behind the screenplay
Outside of movies, Johnson is the founder of the List Project, an Iraqi resettlement charity that helped allies in the war. He also supported reconstruction efforts in Fallujah, Iraq, and after returning from Iraq with PTSD, worked closely with Sen. Ted Kennedy to create a special immigrant visa program for Iraqis and Afghans who worked for the United States during the conflict.
Anvari described the project as deeply personal, explaining: “This story is very personal to me. I’m from this region and what’s behind The Last Flight is immediate and lived. It’s a thriller built on pressure, momentum and impossible choices, always driven by human influence. “I’ve admired Benedict Cumberbatch for years and it’s incredibly exciting to have him at the center of this film. He brings a rare presence that makes the stakes feel urgent and alive.”
Shooting planning and production team
Filming is scheduled for May 2026, with production expected to take place in the UK, Morocco and Jordan. The project is produced by Two & Two and Cumberbatch’s SunnyMarch, with Lucan To and Anvari producing for Two & Two, and Leah Clarke and Adam Ackland for SunnyMarch. Cumberbatch will also serve as an executive producer on Sunny March, with Protagonist Pictures’ Dave Bishop, George Hamilton and James Pugh also serving as executive producers.
Two & Two and SunnyMarch said the film is “both an emotional and wild ride and a call to action,” adding, “It’s a reminder that you can make a difference, even if you’re on the other side of the world and all you have is a phone, an internet connection, and a desire to help.” WME Independent represents U.S. distribution rights.
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