©Courtesy of MGM

Following a comparatively quiet span of three years, marked by appearances in films like “Jurassic World Rebirth“, “Leave the World Behind“, and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse“, two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali has several promising projects for 2026. On October 23, he will be part of the talented voice cast of Laika’s long-in-development animated fantasy film, Wildwood. 

He’s also preparing for a visit to Pennsylvania, one of the major new entries for Season 2 on HBO Max. However, before those projects, the actor will find themselves immersed in a new genre-defying genre of film, which will be released in theaters this fall

Your Mother repeatedly refers to Ali as Latif, a deeply religious hitman striving to uphold equilibrium among his professional duties, his spiritual beliefs, and his role as a father. It suddenly became much more challenging and morally murky when his wife passed away. To safeguard his kids, he embarked on a hurried journey through Houston, a trip that would put his loyalty and combat abilities to the test as enemy forces closed in on him. Under Orion Pictures, it’s aiming to be a proper awards contender when it arrives this fall, and Amazon, MGM Studios has just shared the first trailer to tease exactly why.

Your Mother will blend genres, incorporating action thrills alongside character-focused drama with Latif, and will also explore multiple themes. Ali views this hitman role as unique, surpassing his previous performances, a profession that clashes sharply with his beliefs and endangers those he cares about. Like Latif, there will be a balancing act to demonstrate how someone can be a good father and care for their children despite living in a world grounded in death. Ali described the character as “the most honest and intricate I’ve encountered in a script” during a tease at Cinema Con earlier this year, noting that the film is “precisely the type I’ve longed to produce.”