By Any Means

By Any Means is a 2026 crime thriller inspired by true events surrounding the FBI’s controversial use of Mafia hitman Gregory Scarpa during the civil rights era. Set in 1966 Mississippi, the story follows young Black FBI agent Wayne Strider, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, as he investigates the murders of civil rights activists. When conventional law enforcement fails to produce answers, Strider is forced to work with notorious Colombo crime family hitman Greg Scarpa, portrayed by Mark Wahlberg. Their uneasy partnership takes them into a violent investigation where the boundaries between justice, revenge and criminality become increasingly difficult to separate. Directed by Elegance Bratton and written by Sascha Penn, the film also stars Nicole Beharie, David Strathairn, Giancarlo Esposito and Josh Lucas. Paramount describes the movie as a story about two men divided by almost everything but united by the belief that the law has limits.