Charlize Theron Confirms New Action Thriller With ‘Apex’ Director After Bonkers Netflix Debut

Some actor-director pairings just make sense, especially when the first collaboration immediately becomes the sort of Netflix hit everyone involved can point to and say, “Well, that worked.” After one survival thriller turned into a global streaming monster, the team behind it is already lining up another project together. This one is still being kept tightly under wraps, which is mildly annoying but also exactly what you want from something with a title that sounds like it could ruin several people’s evening.

Charlize Theron and Apex director Baltasar Kormákur are reuniting on Six Clean Kills, a new Universal Pictures thriller based on the unpublished novel by Stan Parish. Kormákur is set to direct and produce the film, while Theron will produce with an eye to star. Parish is also on board to adapt the screenplay, though plot details for both the book and movie are currently being kept under wraps.

Theron is producing via a first-look deal with Universal Picture alongside AJ Dix and Beth Kono, in conjunction with her production company, Secret Menu. The reunion comes after Apex, which premiered on Netflix on April 24, 2026, and immediately became a major success for the streamer. The film debuted at No. 1 on Netflix’s global English film list and stayed at the top of the Netflix Top 10 for two straight weeks. Even better, it actually grew in its second week, reaching 40.8 million viewers, so it was less a case of “this was fun” to “right, we need to do this again as soon as we can.”

Is ‘Apex’ Worth Watching?

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Collider’s review stated that Apex doesn’t exactly reinvent the survival-thriller formula, but it still makes for an exhilarating ride thanks to Theron and some brutal and bone-crunching action. In the end, Apex is a slick, exciting survival thriller that may be familiar, but is still absolutely worth the watch.

Theron felt that the movie tickled a sweet spot in her head, as it was the kind of story she knew she wanted to see. “This movie really fired up my brain,” Theron told Netflix. “When I read the script, I couldn’t put it down and it stayed with me. It felt very pure but with great impact. The bite and the kick were so strong in what it was trying to accomplish without bells and whistles, and I loved that.”

Six Clean Kills is currently in development at Universal Pictures. Apex is currently streaming on Netflix.