Directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein have discussed the trailer for "Mayday", a Cold War-era buddy action-comedy starring Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh, which Apple TV will release on 4 September. The film follows Reynolds' downed American pilot, Troy "Assassin" Kelly, who crashes behind enemy lines in Russia and is nursed back to health by a former KGB officer played by Branagh, before the pair go on the run together. The directors made the comparison in a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, noting the project draws on the post-"Top Gun: Maverick" appetite for aviation films, even without direct military cooperation.

Producer David Ellison, a pilot and now Paramount-Skydance boss, reportedly pushed for technical accuracy in the flying sequences, including insisting scenes stay above the "hard deck", the safety altitude buffer used in aerial manoeuvres. The directors likened the film's early tone to Stephen King's "Misery", before it shifts into action as Branagh's character helps his new American ally fight off assailants. Branagh, known primarily for Shakespearean and dramatic roles, reportedly rehearsed his own stunts and fight choreography extensively, with the filmmakers citing 1980s-90s Jackie Chan movies as an influence on the long, unbroken action shots used to showcase the fights.