Michael Bay’s 5-Part Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Saga Is Finally Coming to Netflix After 12 Years

Michael Bay is set to return to feature directing with a new real-life military mission film, described as a companion piece to his 2016 action thriller 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. The project marks Bay’s first narrative feature since Ambulance in 2022, which earned positive reviews but underperformed commercially, finishing with about $52 million worldwide against a reported $40 million budget. That gap has made this the longest stretch between films in Bay’s directing career, though he has remained active as a producer through Platinum Dunes.

Platinum Dunes continues to be one of Bay’s most successful outlets, particularly in horror and suspense. The company has been tied to major franchises including The Purge and A Quiet Place. John Krasinski recently began work on A Quiet Place: Part III, which will bring back Emily Blunt and Cillian Murphy while adding Jack O’Connell and Jason Clarke. Bay also worked with Krasinski on the Prime Video action series Jack Ryan, which ran from 2018 to 2023.

The focus of the latest update, however, is another Bay-produced television project: The Last Ship. The series originally aired on TNT from 2014 to 2018 and is now preparing to make its Netflix debut in its full five-season run. The show stars the late Eric Dane and is set in the aftermath of a global pandemic that kills 80% of the world’s population. Its story follows the crew of a U.S. Navy vessel that survives the outbreak and becomes central to the search for a cure. The series mixes military action, disaster drama, and survival stakes, aligning closely with the kind of large-scale genre storytelling Bay has long been associated with.

The Last Ship was generally well received during its original run and currently holds an 83% score on Rotten Tomatoes. In a retrospective review, Collider praised the series for delivering the expected Bay-produced blend of spectacle and danger, centered on a commanding officer trying to keep humanity from collapsing. The show’s arrival on Netflix also comes months after Dane’s death in February following a battle with ALS. Dane, widely known for Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria, had also appeared on Netflix’s Famous Last Words, a project designed to air interviews after the subject’s passing.

For viewers who missed the show the first time or want to revisit it, The Last Ship will be available on Netflix beginning June 22. The move gives the five-season series a new streaming home and renewed visibility, while Bay himself continues building toward his next big-screen return.