Josh Hartnett: Storm Season

A sea-swept chapter for Absolute Josh Hartnett — with scares, stunts, and a splash of myth

A Scare, Then Back to Set

Late last week, Josh Hartnett was briefly hospitalized after a collision in St. John’s, Newfoundland. He was treated and released, and sources say he has already returned to work. The crash occurred while Hartnett was filming an untitled Netflix limited series on the island.

That series, created by The Umbrella Academy writer-producer Jesse McKeown, follows a fisherman who realizes his coastal town is under threat from a mysterious sea creature — a salt-spray premise that feels tailor-made for Hartnett’s brooding intensity. Co-stars include Mackenzie Davis and Charlie Heaton, with Netflix positioning it as a six-episode event.

Hartnett, Ocean-Side

If Penny Dreadful proved Hartnett could anchor Gothic atmosphere, this sea-monster mystery is the briny evolution — part folklore, part grief, part lighthouse-weathered heroism. Early set chatter has him in rugged dock gear, blending into the working waterfront more like a local than a movie star.

Flight Mode Engaged

Between ocean squalls, Hartnett has been airborne. This spring’s action-comedy Fight or Flight — about a covert operative protecting a target mid-air — rolled out in the U.K. in February and the U.S. in May, with a lean 97-minute runtime and a have-fun-or-bail critical vibe. Many noted his easy chemistry with co-star Charithra Chandran.

From Butcher to Bear (and Back Again)

In 2024 he headlined M. Night Shyamalan’s concert-thriller Trap as the chilling “Butcher,” a performance that flipped the heartthrob mythology on its head and reminded audiences he can go pitch-black when the material demands it. He also appeared in The Bear Season 3, continuing his small-screen hot streak after Black Mirror’s “Beyond the Sea.”

Weekend Watch: A Hartnett Mini-Marathon

• Black Mirror: “Beyond the Sea” — A quiet, devastating turn that lingers.
• Trap — Come for the twisty premise, stay for Hartnett’s cold-steel gaze.
• Fight or Flight — 30,000-feet mayhem with playful charisma.
• Penny Dreadful — His Gothic slow burn is still peak Sunday-night mood.

On the Horizon

Hartnett wraps the year with momentum — and with a buzzy date circled on the longer-term calendar: Verity, Michael Showalter’s adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestseller, starring Anne Hathaway with Hartnett and Dakota Johnson, slated for October 2, 2026 from Amazon MGM Studios. Filming wrapped after a New York shoot.

Why It Is Fun to Be a Hartnett Fan Right Now

Because this phase is all texture: a monster-at-sea thriller on the edge of the world; a wink-and-win airplane romp; a jet-black villain turn; and prestige TV detours that show new corners to an old-school screen presence. The resurgence is no longer the story — the range is. And the weather report says: more waves ahead.

From crash scare to camera roll, Hartnett is having a year — and he is steering the boat.

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