Dev Patel continues to grow as a filmmaker with his next big project: The Peasant. Through his production company, Minor Realm, he will write, direct, star in, and produce the movie. Fifth Season and Thunder Road Pictures are backing the film.

This marks Patel’s second time working with Thunder Road, which also supported his first directorial project, Monkey Man. That film was released by Universal in 2024 and was an action-packed revenge story set in modern-day India.

The Peasant is also a revenge thriller, but set in a very different time, India in the 1300s. The story follows a shepherd whose village is attacked by a group of mercenary knights. As he fights back, we learn that he is much more than just a simple herder.

The film is being described as a mix of Braveheart, John Wick, and King Arthur, blending intense action with historical and mystical elements. Originally, the story was set in Italy and involved connections to the Pope, but Patel is reworking it with co-writer Will Dunn (who previously worked on Marvel’s Ms. Marvel) to fit a more culturally rich and mythic Indian setting.

The script had already gained attention before Patel came on board; it made the 2023 Black List, a respected list of the best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood.
Fifth Season, which is financing and co-producing the movie, hopes it could lead to a new action franchise.

The company has produced a wide range of films, from comedies like 80 for Brady to action hits like Michael Bay’s Ambulance. Meanwhile, Thunder Road is well-known for action franchises like John Wick and Sicario.

With The Peasant, Dev Patel is building on the momentum of Monkey Man, bringing audiences another powerful and emotional revenge story, this time in a vibrant, historical Indian setting.