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Shelter (2026 film)

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Shelter
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRic Roman Waugh
Written byWard Parry
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMartin Ahlgren
Edited byMatthew Newman
Music byDavid Buckley
Production
companies
Distributed byBlack Bear Pictures
Release dates
Running time
107 minutes[1]
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$50 million[2]
Box office$53.9 million[3][4]

Shelter is a 2026 action thriller film starring Jason Statham as a former British government assassin living in isolation off the coast of Scotland who is forced back into violent confrontation with his past while protecting a young girl from the agency determined to eliminate him. It is directed by Ric Roman Waugh and written by Ward Parry. The film also stars Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Bill Nighy, Naomi Ackie, and Daniel Mays.

Shelter premiered at the Cineworld Leicester Square in London on January 20, 2026, and was released in the United Kingdom and United States by Black Bear Pictures on January 30, 2026. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $53.1 million against a $50 million production budget.

Plot

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Former MI6 "Black Kite" assassin Michael Mason lives on an island in the Scottish Outer Hebrides. Every week, he receives supplies from Jessie, a young girl grieving the loss of her mother and her uncle, who Mason served with in the Royal Marines. However, Jessie grows frustrated by Mason's lack of respect and reclusiveness. When a storm kills her uncle and injures Jessie, Mason rescues her. They bond by playing chess as she recovers on the island.

Stephen Manafort, the Chief of MI6 and Mason's former handler, is questioned in a public inquiry about Total Human Engagement Analytics (THEA), an advanced surveillance program being investigated for illegal monitoring of British citizens. Prime Minister Fordham, who supports THEA, arranges for Manafort to be replaced by his deputy, Roberta Frost, so he can conduct black-ops outside of MI6. Mason is captured on camera buying supplies in Stornoway, but THEA identifies him as terrorist Timur Tchermoev, subject to a kill order. This prompts Frost to dispatch a tactical team, but Mason kills them using various booby traps. Frost discovers Mason's true identity and that he has been in hiding for betraying Manafort after refusing to kill an Iranian nuclear program defector ten years prior.

Mason and Jessie escape to mainland Scotland but are attacked by James Workman, another "Black Kite" taking orders solely from Manafort to tie up loose ends. They escape him after a lengthy car chase and fight with local police. Mason takes Jessie to his friend Arthur Booth, a former MI6 systems architect that created THEA. Booth, suffering from cancer, is unable to take Jessie, and is shocked when Mason suggests going to MI6 informant and human trafficker Kamal Shah. Workman attacks Booth's house, forcing the three to escape.

Mason and Jessie drive to Kamal's nightclub in the Isle of Dogs, London, to secure her safe passage. After warning Kamal that Manafort is no longer constrained by MI6 and poses a danger to them both, he agrees to give Jessie a new identity and transport her to Spain on the condition Mason kills Manafort. Manafort deploys several "Black Kite" operatives to the club before Frost's arrest team arrives, but Mason kills them all, disarms the arrest team and rescues Jessie. After getting her to the boat to Spain, he is ambushed by Workman on the docks. After a brutal close combat fight, Mason overpowers Workman and kills him.

Mason confronts Manafort at his private estate and is berated for breaking the most important rule in Black Kites: loyalty. Michael responds that finding his humanity after a life of obedience is why he is still alive before executing Manafort. Three months later, Roberta wishes to bring Mason in and has Jessie under surveillance. In Ronda, Jessie sits in a café and receives a chess piece from Mason, who overlooks her briefly from the street before walking away.

Cast

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Production

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At the 2024 Cannes Film Market, Black Bear Pictures was selling an untitled action film written by Ward Perry and starring Jason Statham. At the time, Baltasar Kormákur was attached to direct, and filming was planned for the UK and Iceland.[5] By February 2025, Ric Roman Waugh replaced Kormákur as director, and principal photography had begun in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Bill Nighy, Naomi Ackie, and Daniel Mays had also joined the cast.[6] Filming took place in Enniskerry in March.[7] The film's title was revealed as Shelter in October 2025.[8]

Release

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Theatrical

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Shelter had its world premiere at the Cineworld Leicester Square in London on January 20, 2026,[9] and was released in the United States on January 30, 2026.[8]

Reception

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Box office

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Shelter grossed $12.8 million in the United States and Canada, and $41.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $53.9 million.

In the United States and Canada, Shelter was released alongside Send Help, Iron Lung, and Melania on January 30th, 2026.[2] It grossed $5,531,028 from 2,726 theatres and closed its domestic run with $12,805,541.[3]

Critical reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 65% of 119 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Classing up an overdone premise with professional execution, Shelter is highly derivative of previous Jason Statham vehicles but lean and mean enough to forgive the recycled tropes."[10] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 50 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[11][12] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[13]

References

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  1. ^ "Shelter (15)". BBFC. January 20, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
  2. ^ a b Rubin, Rebecca (January 28, 2026). "Box Office: Sam Raimi's 'Send Help' Targets $15 Million Debut, 'Melania' Doc Aims for $3 Million Against $40 Million Price Tag". Variety. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
  3. ^ a b "Shelter - Box Office and Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  4. ^ "Shelter". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  5. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (May 13, 2024). "Jason Statham & Director Baltasar Kormakur Team On New Action-Thriller For Black Bear — Cannes Market Hot Project". Deadline.
  6. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (February 11, 2025). "Jason Statham-Ric Roman Waugh Action-Thriller Underway In UK & Ireland For Black Bear; Bill Nighy & Naomi Ackie Among Joining Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  7. ^ Costigan, Emma (March 19, 2025). "A touch of Hollywood in Wicklow! Jason Statham spotted filming in Ireland". Evoke.ie. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  8. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 1, 2025). "Black Bear Sets Winter 2026 Release For Jason Statham Action Thriller 'Shelter'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  9. ^ "Somerset influencer walks red carpet alongside Jason Statham at movie premiere". Somerset County Gazette. January 21, 2026. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
  10. ^ "Shelter". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
  11. ^ "Shelter". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  12. ^ "Shelter". Metacritic. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
  13. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 31, 2026). "'Send Help' $17.5M+ Ahead Of 'Iron Lung'; 'Melania' 'A' CinemaScore & $8M+ Record Docu Debut In Decade; Charli xcx's 'The Moment' Sings – Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
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