Glen Powell Officially Addresses Kurt Russell Action Remake Reports 2 Years Later

Published Oct 7, 2026, 4:41 PM EDT Adam Bentz is a senior news writer at ScreenRant, where he has authored nearly 5,000 articles, including features and lists. He studied creative writing and English with a concentration in screenwriting at Southern New Hampshire University and interned as a writer/journalist for The Borgen Project, an influential organization that fights global poverty. However, one of his proudest achievements is editing a Leonardo DiCaprio freakout compilation that has over 150K views on YouTube. Adam also fancies himself an amateur film critic on his personal website. Glen Powell addresses reports of a Backdraft remake over two years after they first surfaced. The actor has enjoyed a meteoric rise in recent years, from his big breakout in Top Gun: Maverick (2022) to the blockbuster rom-com Anyone But You (2023) and Netflix's Hit Man. Around the time of Twisters' release in July 2024, it was reported that Powell was set to star in a Backdraft remake, based on Kurt Russell's 1991 action thriller about firefighters, directed by Ron Howard​​​​​. Now, in a new profile by Esquire, Powell addressed reports of a Backdraft remake. While he admits to being attached to an untitled Ron Howard movie about firefighters, he claims that it has no connection to Backdraft. Still, he remains excited about filming fire practically, very much like Top Gun: Maverick filmed its fighter pilots. Read his full comments below: It’s not. It has no connection to that movie. It just happens to have fire involved. Who hates a firefighter? Reports of a remake first surfaced in July 2024 when producer Brian Grazer made mention of a new Backdraft with Glen Powell. The following month, in August 2024, Powell clarified his involvement in the supposed remake, quickly debunking Grazer's prior comments, claiming that it's "not really a thing," while also acknowledging that the world of firefighters is "ripe for exploration." Read Powell's prior comments below: Yeah, that’s not really a thing. So, I’m not really sure. Yeah [it’s a rumor], but I mean, obviously, I’m a fan of Backdraft. I think Backdraft is an incredible film. I’m a huge Kurt Russell fan, as well. I think it’s a world that’s ripe for exploration, but not in terms of me around it. That’s nothing I can really speak to it. Now, it's clear that while Powell is attached to a movie about firefighters, it has no connection to Backdraft. The upcoming film, directed by Ron Howard with a script written by Christina Hodson (Bumblebee, Birds of Prey, The Flash), reportedly follows "two estranged childhood friends, now top firefighters" who "must work together again when Texas faces devastating wildfires." The firefighter film is just one of Glen Powell's upcoming movies. He also stars in ​​​​​​​Judd Apatow's comedy The Comeback King, scheduled for release in theaters on February 5, 2027, and J.J. Abrams' science fantasy The Great Beyond, scheduled for October 1, 2027. Powell is also reportedly attached to a Lou Gehrig biopic, which will reunite him with director Richard Linklater, whom he previously collaborated with on Everybody Wants Some!! (2016) and Hit Man. He is also attached to Moonlight writer-director Barry Jenkins' new movie, The Natural Order. For now, Backdraft fans shouldn't expect Glen Powell to step into Kurt Russell's shoes. Instead, he is heading into a new story about firefighters, one that could bring plenty of heat while standing firmly on its own. Release Date May 24, 1991 Runtime 137 minutes Director Ron Howard Cast William Baldwin Brian McCaffrey Backdraft follows two feuding siblings who pursue careers as Chicago firefighters, mirroring their family's legacy. As a series of arson attacks unsettle the city, they set aside their differences to collaborate and uncover the truth behind the fires, working together to bring the culprits to justice.