He isn't just the guy in the suit anymore. If you still think of Pierce Brosnan solely as the suave agent with a license to kill, honestly, you’ve missed the best part of his career. At 72, the Irish actor is doing something way more interesting than dodging explosions in a tuxedo. He’s leaning into the wrinkles. He’s playing the "old man" in ways that are gritty, heartbreaking, and sometimes just plain weird.
It’s a pivot. And it’s working.
Right now, the buzz around Pierce Brosnan recent films isn't about high-tech gadgets or martini recipes. It’s about a boxing trainer in Sheffield, a World War II veteran on a desperate road trip, and a mountaineer trying to survive the Dolomites.
The Total Transformation in Giant (2025/2026)
Basically, if you haven't seen the trailer for Giant, go find it. Brosnan plays Brendan Ingle. For those who aren't boxing nerds, Ingle was the legendary trainer who discovered Prince Naseem Hamed.
Forget the silver fox hair. For this role, Brosnan went through a massive physical shift—thinning hair, prosthetic aging, and a thick Sheffield-meets-Irish accent. It’s a sports biopic, yeah, but it’s really a father-son story without the blood relation. The movie premiered at the BFI London Film Festival in late 2025 and hit UK cinemas in January 2026.
Why does this matter? Because critics are calling it his best work in a decade. He’s not the hero; he’s the mentor. He’s the guy in the corner of the ring watching someone else take the hits. It’s a vulnerable, quiet performance that reminds you he actually has the range people forgot about during the Bond years.
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Climbing Back into Action with the Cliffhanger Reboot (2026)
So, here’s the big one everyone is talking about for later this year. Cliffhanger. Yes, the Stallone classic from 1993.
Most people were confused when this was announced. Is it a sequel? A reboot? Well, it’s a bit of both, but mostly a "contemporary reimagining."
Brosnan plays Ray Cooper. He’s an experienced mountaineer who runs a chalet in the Italian Dolomites. The plot kicks off when he and his daughter (played by Lily James) get caught in the middle of a kidnapping plot involving a billionaire's son.
- The Release Date: Mark your calendars for August 28, 2026.
- The Vibe: Director Jaume Collet-Serra described it as a mix of The Shallows and The Grey.
- The Stakes: It’s grounded. Less "superhero on a mountain" and more "human beings trying not to fall to their deaths."
The production was grueling. They actually filmed in the Alps, and Lily James has been vocal about how tough the shoot was. Interestingly, the film is opening the same day as Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars, so it’s going to be a massive box-office showdown this August.
A Western Grudge Match: The Unholy Trinity
Westerns are hard to get right. The Unholy Trinity (released in the US in June 2025) tried something different. Brosnan plays Gabriel Dove, a man with a dark past who gets tangled up with Samuel L. Jackson’s character in a town called Trinity.
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It’s a "serviceable shoot-'em-up," according to The Hollywood Reporter. It didn't break the box office, making about $1 million, but seeing Brosnan and Samuel L. Jackson face off in the dirt? That’s worth the price of admission alone. Jackson has these wild, gray mutton chops, and Brosnan plays it cold and calculating.
It’s a vibe. Kinda dusty. Very violent.
What Most People Get Wrong About His "Late" Career
The biggest misconception is that Brosnan is just "cashing in."
Look at The Last Rifleman (2023, but hit Prime Video in late 2024). He played Artie Crawford, a 92-year-old veteran who escapes his care home to travel to France for the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
He wore heavy prosthetics. He used a cane. He looked fragile.
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An actor who only cares about his image doesn't do that. He’s choosing roles that allow him to explore mortality. Even in the romantic drama Four Letters of Love (2025), where he stars alongside Helena Bonham Carter, he’s playing a father whose choices shatter his family’s quiet life. It’s heavy stuff.
What's Next?
If you’re trying to keep up with the schedule, here is the roadmap for the next few months:
- The Thursday Murder Club: This is the big Netflix adaptation of Richard Osman's book. Brosnan plays Ron, an ex-union activist. It’s expected to be a massive hit in 2025/2026.
- Black Bag: A high-stakes spy thriller from Steven Soderbergh. It’s a return to the genre, but with a Soderbergh twist, which usually means it’ll be smarter than your average action flick.
- The King of Kings: He’s even doing voice work for this animated epic.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you want to catch the best of Pierce Brosnan recent films, don't just wait for the big blockbusters. Start with The Last Rifleman on Prime Video to see his dramatic range. Then, keep an eye out for the US release of Giant via Vertical later this year. It's the performance that will likely define this era of his career.
Finally, get ready for Cliffhanger in August. It’s his big return to "event-level" cinema, and if the early buzz is right, it might just start a whole new franchise for him.
He’s not slowing down. He’s just getting started with the roles that actually matter. Stay tuned to theatrical listings for the Cliffhanger trailer drop, which should be hitting screens by early summer 2026.