The Ice Road - What We Know So Far

Trucking doesn't always get the same recognition as other industries, despite its integral contribution to the world's supply chains. In the world of truckers, one group stands out as having a bit more of a reputation than the rest. Ice road truckers, having received their own show on the History Channel dedicated to their dangerous craft, have grown in renown since the show's beginning in 2007. Moving their massive rigs across the ice, the industry is famous for the many hazards associated with driving multiple tons of solid steel over frozen lakes.

Surrounded by the dangers of the arctic environment, nobody saw the lives of ice road truckers as action movie material until director Jonathan Hensleigh started making "The Ice Road." This upcoming film starring Liam Neeson focuses on a group of truckers as they make an especially dangerous and necessary move across Winnipeg's frozen frontier. With little time left on the clock to complete their mission, thrills and chills are sure to be abundant in this disaster action flick. Here is all the info we know about "The Ice Road."

"The Ice Road" is unique among 2021 releases in that it has suffered no delays, even though production began in 2019 and continued throughout 2020's COVID-19 pandemic. Filming for the disaster thriller took place in Winnipeg, beginning in February of that year. Now, over two years later, the film is finally set to come out this summer. Specifically, the film will be available to stream on Netflix starting June 25, 2021.

According to Deadline, Netflix acquired the rights to "The Ice Road" some time before March 2021. Astoundingly, the streaming giant ponied up $18 million for the action film, reportedly beating out other buyers for rights to the flick. With that in mind, it's no surprise that Netflix wants to put the film out so soon after acquiring it. For $18 million, the company is likely trying to make up that purchase by giving the film some much-needed time on the site.

One of "The Ice Road's" biggest magnetizing features is its big-budget cast. With superstars Liam Neeson and Laurence Fishburne occupying the film's main roles, the film has quite a bit of star power behind it. Joining them will be Ray McKinnon, Amber Midthunder, Benjamin Walker, and Marcus Thomas (via Deadline).

Though Neeson and Fishburne take up the film's starring roles, the film's trailer indicates that the other characters will also play key roles throughout the film. The bulk of these roles, like Neeson and Fishburne, are those of truckers making a late-season trek across Canada's frozen lakes to deliver rescue equipment to a group of trapped miners. Midthunder's character, in particular, seems to have a personal stake in the matter. One of her only lines in the trailer reveals that her brother is one of the trapped miners. 

Aside from the core cast, CTV News reported that much of the film's other cast and crew are all Winnipeg natives. Despite the film's unrealistic action sequences, it is trying to faithfully represent the culture and people of the film's setting. The film's producer, Bart Rosenblatt, called it shooting "Winnipeg for Winnipeg."

"The Ice Road" has a unique concept among disaster and action movies. Taking place in the icy countries of Manitoba, Canada, "The Ice Road” focuses on the efforts of a group of daring truckers who, responding to a cave-in, journey across the local ice lakes to deliver some much needed rescue equipment to a group of trapped miners. The trek is especially dangerous, as ice road trucking is a seasonal business. It can only be done while the water is sufficiently frozen, and at this point, the ice has been thawing for some weeks. Whether or not it can even support the weight of the trucks is a major issue.

Still, Mike (Neeson) is hired by Goldenrod (Fishburne) to join his crew of truckers hauling the equipment over the ice. Along the way, they encounter resistance from the environment and discover that they are likely being sabotaged. The identity and motives of the culprit behind the sabotage are unknown, but will surely be a major unfolding mystery over the course of the film. With only 30 hours to get the equipment to the trapped miners, "The Ice Road" is revved up to be an intense, nail-biting journey for both characters and viewers.