Marlon Wayans and Keke Palmer are headed into action-comedy territory together. 

Deadline reported that Lionsgate has acquired “Ride or Die,” a romantic buddy action-comedy with Wayans and Palmer attached to star. The film follows by-the-book robbery detective Martin Banks (Wayans) and tough narcotics detective Tami Moore (Palmer) as their clashing styles collide while they try to stop $2 billion worth of deadly opioids from flooding Chicago. 

Wayans is also writing the screenplay with Rick Alvarez, and he’s already describing the project in a way only Wayans could: he said the movie is basically “When Harry Met Sally” with guns. He will also produce through his production company Ugly Baby, while Palmer and her mother, Sharon Palmer, are in talks to executive produce. 

The pair makes sense as a duo on paper, but the genre mashup is what makes this one interesting. Palmer has been keeping a packed 2026 calendar, appearing in Peacock’s “The ‘Burbs” and Boots Riley’s upcoming “I Love Boosters,” while Wayans is riding a busy run of his own, with “Him” behind him and “Scary Movie 6” still on deck. That means “Ride or Die” is bringing together two stars who know exactly how to blend big character energy with sharp comedic timing. 

The project is a clean fit for a market that still loves a good odd-couple setup, especially when the leads can carry both laughs and chemistry. And for Wayans and Palmer, it’s another chance to prove that Black-led genre films can be funny, glossy, and commercially appealing without losing their edge.