---
title: "Aaron Pierre to star in Fairytale in New York, a Christmas Eve thriller from Sisu’s Jalmari Helander"
url: https://badiyaa.com/aaron-pierre-jalmari-helander-fairytale-new-york/
published: 2026-11-14T08:16:00+00:00
modified: 2026-11-14T08:16:00+00:00
section: Entertainment
publisher: Badiyaa
---

# Aaron Pierre to star in Fairytale in New York, a Christmas Eve thriller from Sisu’s Jalmari Helander

Aaron Pierre will star in Fairytale in New York, a Christmas Eve action thriller about a vengeful cab driver, directed by Sisu's Jalmari Helander.

Aaron Pierre is getting behind the wheel of a New York taxi for a Christmas Eve revenge spree. The *Lanterns* star will lead *Fairytale in New York*, an action thriller from Finnish director Jalmari Helander, the filmmaker who turned a grizzled gold prospector into a one-man army in *Sisu*.

According to the announced logline, the film follows an unassuming cab driver who goes on a relentless night of vengeance across the city after a priceless gift from his estranged son is stolen. Lionsgate is producing and Netflix will distribute, per reports published on Thursday, November 13.

## The team behind it

Helander directs from a script by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani, the same writing pair behind his upcoming *Rambo* prequel. Lionsgate Motion Group president Erin Westerman said in a statement that this is the studio’s “third collaboration with Jalmari,” and called Pierre an actor who “has all the makings of a major movie star.”

No release date, budget or supporting cast has been announced.

## Helander keeps coming back to Christmas

The festive setting is a homecoming of sorts. Helander, born in Helsinki in 1976, broke through with *Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale* (2010), a dark Finnish fable about a very unfriendly Santa. His career since then:

- **2010:** *Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale*

- **2014:** *Big Game*, with Samuel L. Jackson as a US president stranded in the Finnish wilderness

- **2022:** *Sisu*, his World War II action hit

- **2025:** *Sisu: Road to Revenge*

- **2027:** *John Rambo*, a prequel to *First Blood*, with Noah Centineo in the title role, reportedly due June 4

*Fairytale in New York* would arrive 16 or more years after *Rare Exports*, bringing him back to holiday mayhem with a far bigger star and a far bigger city.

## Pierre’s packed run

For Pierre, 32, the role adds to a crowded slate. The London-born actor plays John Stewart in HBO’s DC series *Lanterns* and is due to return as the character in *Man of Tomorrow* in 2027. He also has a part in *Star Wars: Starfighter* with Ryan Gosling, which is in post-production.

The casting also makes sense on paper. Pierre already proved himself in a Netflix action lead with *Rebel Ridge* (2024), which won him an NAACP Image Award and a Gotham TV Award. Before that he voiced the title role in *Mufasa: The Lion King* and played Malcolm X in *Genius: MLK/X*. This year he also took on Randle P. McMurphy in *One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest* at the Old Vic in London.

Fans worried about his DC future after recent chatter around *Lanterns* can catch up on [co-showrunner Chris Cantwell telling fans the Green Lantern show is not canceled](https://badiyaa.com/lanterns-chris-cantwell-not-canceled/). More casting news is on Badiyaa’s [Entertainment page](https://badiyaa.com/category/entertainment/).

Before any taxi chase, Helander’s next film in cinemas is *John Rambo*, with a reported release date of June 4, 2027.

## Further reading

- [Wikipedia: Jalmari Helander](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalmari_Helander)

- [Wikipedia: Aaron Pierre (actor)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Pierre_(actor))

*Image: Kevin Paul, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons*

*This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by our Editorial Desk. [How we work](https://badiyaa.com/editorial-policy/).*