Welcome to StudioBinder’s screenplay library, your ultimate destination for heart-pounding thrills and explosive action. Dive into our handpicked selection of the best free action movie scripts, featuring adrenaline-fueled plots and unforgettable characters. From high-stakes heists to jaw-dropping stunts, this treasure trove of action scripts is a must-have resource for aspiring screenwriters and action enthusiasts alike. Get ready for an action-packed ride. Enjoy!
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comedy, Action
21 Jump Street
Written By: Michael Bacall
Synopsis: A pair of underachieving cops are sent back to a local high school to blend in and bring down a synthetic drug ring.
Action, War
300
300 First Battle Scene • Subscribe on YouTube
Written By: Zack Snyder & Kurt Johnstad and Michael B. Gordon (screenplay), based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller & Lynn Varley
Synopsis: King Leonidas of Sparta and a force of 300 men fight the Persians at Thermopylae in 480 B.C.
animation, action
The Adventures of Tintin
Written By: Steven Moffat and Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish (screenplay), based on the novel "The Adventures of Tintin" by Hergé
Synopsis: Intrepid reporter Tintin and Captain Haddock set off on a treasure hunt for a sunken ship commanded by Haddock's ancestor.
sci-fi, action
Avatar
Avatar & Avatar 2 Behind the Scenes • Subscribe on YouTube
Written By: James Cameron
Synopsis: A paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.
action, sci-fi
The Avengers
Written By: Joss Whedon
Synopsis: Earth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are going to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity.
action, sci-fi
Avengers: Endgame
Written By: Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely
Synopsis: After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more in order to reverse Thanos' actions and restore balance to the universe.
action, crime
Baby Driver
Written By: Edgar Wright
Synopsis: After being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.
sci-fi, action
Back to the Future
Back to the Future & the Flat Character Arc • Subscribe on YouTube
Written By: Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale
Synopsis: Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent thirty years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the eccentric scientist Doc Brown.
action, fantasy
Batman Begins
Written By: Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer (screenplay), based on the comics by Bob Kane
Synopsis: After training with his mentor, Batman begins his fight to free crime-ridden Gotham City from corruption.
action, sci-fi
Black Panther
Written By: Ryan Coogler & Joe Robert Cole (screenplay), based on the comics by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
Synopsis: T'Challa, heir to the hidden but advanced kingdom of Wakanda, must step forward to lead his people into a new future and must confront a challenger from his country's past.
action, sci-fi
Blade Runner
Written By: Hampton Fancher & David Webb Peoples (screenplay), based on the novel by Philip K. Dick
Synopsis: A blade runner must pursue and terminate four replicants who stole a ship in space, and have returned to Earth to find their creator.
action, sci-fi
Blade Runner 2049
Written By: Hampton Fancher & Michael Green (screenplay), based on the novel by Philip K. Dick
Synopsis: Young Blade Runner K's discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former Blade Runner Rick Deckard, who's been missing for thirty years.
action, thriller
The Bourne Ultimatum
Written By: Tony Gilroy and Scott Z. Burns & George Nolfi (screenplay), based on the novel by Robert Ludlum
Synopsis: Jason Bourne dodges a ruthless C.I.A. official and his Agents from a new assassination program while searching for the origins of his life as a trained killer.
Written By: Hui-Ling Wang and James Schamus & Kuo Jung Tsai (screenplay), based on the book by Du Lu Wang
Synopsis: A young Chinese warrior steals a sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man in the frontier of the nation.
action, THRILLER
The Dark Knight
Dan Harmon Story Circle • Subscribe on YouTube
Written By: Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer (screenplay), based on the original comics by Bob Kane
Synopsis: When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.
action, thriller
The Dark Knight Rises
Written By: Jonathan Nolan & Christopher Nolan (screenplay), based on the characters by Bob Kane
Synopsis: Eight years after the Joker's reign of anarchy, Batman, with the help of the enigmatic Catwoman, is forced from his exile to save Gotham City from the brutal guerrilla terrorist Bane.
action, comedy
Deadpool
What is Breaking the Fourth Wall • Subscribe on YouTube
Written By: Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick
Synopsis: A wisecracking mercenary gets experimented on and becomes immortal but ugly, and sets out to track down the man who ruined his looks.
action, thriller
Die Hard
Written By: Jeb Stuart & Steven E. de Souza (screenplay), based on the novel by Roderick Thorp
Synopsis: An NYPD officer tries to save his wife and several others taken hostage by German terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.
western, action
Django Unchained
Written By: Quentin Tarantino
Synopsis: With the help of a German bounty hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner.
action, sci-fi
Dredd
Written By: Alex Garland (screenplay), based on the characters by John Wagner & Carlos Ezquerra
Synopsis: In a violent, futuristic city where the police have the authority to act as judge, jury and executioner, a cop teams with a trainee to take down a gang that deals the reality-altering drug, SLO-MO.
action, crime
Drive
Drive Opening Scene • Subscribe on YouTube
Written By: Hossein Amini (screenplay), based on the book by James Sallis
Synopsis: An action drama about a mysterious Hollywood stuntman and mechanic moonlighting as a getaway driver finding himself in trouble when he helps out his neighbor.
action, war
Dunkirk
Written By: Christopher Nolan
Synopsis: Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Empire, and France are surrounded by the German Army, and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.
action, sci-fi, comedy
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Everything Everywhere All at Once • Subscribe on YouTube
Written By: Dan Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
Synopsis: An aging Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, in which she alone can save the world by exploring other universes connecting with the lives she could have led.
sci-fi, action
The Fifth Element
Written By: Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen
Synopsis: In the colorful future, a cab driver unwittingly becomes the central figure in the search for a legendary cosmic weapon to keep Evil and Mr. Zorg at bay.
sci-fi, action
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Written By: James Gunn
Synopsis: The Guardians struggle to keep together as a team while dealing with their personal family issues, notably Star-Lord's encounter with his father the ambitious celestial being Ego.
comedy, action
Hot Fuzz
Written By: Edgar Wright & Simon Pegg
Synopsis: A skilled London police officer is transferred to a small town with a dark secret.
action, sci-fi
Inception
How Christopher Nolan Shot the Iconic Inception Hallway Fight Scene...Without CGI • Subscribe on YouTube
Written By: Christopher Nolan
Synopsis: A thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O.
action
Raider of the Lost Ark
Written By: Lawrence Kasdan
Synopsis: In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before Adolf Hitler's Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.
Action, sci-fi
Iron Man
Written By: Mark Furgus & Hawk Otsby & Art Marcum & Matt Holloway
Synopsis: After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.
action, war
Inglourious Basterds
How Tarantino Keeps You Hooked • Subscribe on YouTube
Written By: Quentin Tarantino
Synopsis: In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theatre owner's vengeful plans for the same.
sci-fi, action, drama
Interstellar
Interstellar Script Explained • Subscribe on YouTube
Written By: Jonathan Nolan & Christopher Nolan
Synopsis: A team of explorers travel through a wormhole in space in an attempt to ensure humanity's survival.
action
John Wick
Written By: Derek Kolstad
Synopsis: An ex-hit-man comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that killed his dog and took everything from him.
action, sci-fi
Jurassic Park
Written By: Michael Crichton & David Koepp (screenplay), based on the novel by Michael Crichton
Jurassic Park & the Spielberg Oner • Subscribe on YouTube
Synopsis: A pragmatic paleontologist visiting an almost complete theme park is tasked with protecting a couple of kids after a power failure causes the park's cloned dinosaurs to run loose.
ACTION, crime
Kill Bill Vol. 1
Kill Bill Knife Fight • Subscribe on YouTube
Written By: Quentin Tarantino
Synopsis: After awakening from a four-year coma, a former assassin wreaks vengeance on the team of assassins who betrayed her.
ACTION, crime
Kill Bill Vol. 2
How Kill Bill Keeps Us Hooked • Subscribe on YouTube
Written By: Quentin Tarantino
Synopsis: The Bride continues her quest of vengeance against her former boss and lover Bill, the reclusive bouncer Budd, and the treacherous, one-eyed Elle.
action, comedy
Last Action Hero
Written By: Shane Black & David Arnott (screenplay), based on the story by Zak Penn & Adam Leff
Synopsis: With the help of a magic ticket, a young movie fan is transported into the fictional world of his favorite action movie character.
action, comedy
The Last Boy Scout
Written By: Shane Black (screenplay), based on the story by Shane Black & Greg Hicks
Synopsis: A private detective's protected female witness is murdered, prompting him and the victim's boyfriend to investigate the crime that leads to a corrupt politician and a crooked football team owner.
action, comedy
Lethal Weapon
Written By: Shane Black
Synopsis: Two newly paired cops who are complete opposites must put aside their differences in order to catch a gang of drug smugglers.
action, comedy
Lethal Weapon II
Written By: Jeffrey Boam (screenplay), based on the story by Shane Black & Warren Murphy
Synopsis: Riggs and Murtaugh are on the trail of South African diplomats who are using their immunity to engage in criminal activities.
action, sci-fi
Logan
Logan and the Neo-Western Explained • Subscribe on YouTube
Written By: Scott Frank and James Mangold & Michael Green
Synopsis: In a future where mutants are nearly extinct, an elderly and weary Logan leads a quiet life. But when Laura, a mutant child pursued by scientists, comes to him for help, he must get her to safety.
action
The Long Kiss Goodnight
Written By: Shane Black
Synopsis: Samantha Caine lives in a small town with her daughter. Eight years ago she emerged, two months pregnant, from a nearby river with no memory of her past or who she is. However, she's getting closer to finding out about her past.
FANTASY, action
LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring
Written By: Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson (screenplay), based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien
Synopsis: A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.
fantasy, action
LOTR: The Two Towers
Written By: Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens & Stephen Sinclair & Peter Jackson (screenplay), based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien
Synopsis: While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.
fantasy, action
LOTR: Return of the King
Written By: Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens & Stephen Sinclair & Peter Jackson (screenplay), based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien
Synopsis: Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.
sci-fi, action
The Martian
Written By: Drew Goddard (screenplay), based on the novel by Andy Weir
Synopsis: An astronaut becomes stranded on Mars after his team assume him dead, and must rely on his ingenuity to find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.
sci-fi, action
The Matrix
Written By: Lana Wachowski & Lilly Wachowski
Synopsis: A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against its controllers.
action, thriller
Mission: Impossible
Written By: David Koepp & Robert Towne (screenplay), based on the television series by Bruce Geller
Synopsis: An American agent, under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization.
action, comedy
The Nice Guys
Written By: Shane Black & Anthony Bagarozzi
Synopsis: In 1970s Los Angeles, a mismatched pair of private eyes investigate a missing girl and the mysterious death of a porn star.
war, action
The Patriot
Written By: Robert Rodat
Synopsis: Peaceful farmer Benjamin Martin is driven to lead the Colonial Militia during the American Revolution when a sadistic British officer murders his son.
Written By: Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio, Stuart Beattie and Jay Wolpert
Synopsis: Blacksmith Will Turner teams up with eccentric pirate "Captain" Jack Sparrow to save his love, the governor's daughter, from Jack's former pirate allies, who are now undead.
action, sci-fi
The Postman
Written By: Eric Roth & Brian Helgeland (screenplay), based on the novel by David Brin
Synopsis: A nameless drifter dons a postman's uniform and bag of mail as he begins a quest to inspire hope to the survivors living in post-apocalyptic America.
sci-fi, action
The Predator
Written By: Fred Dekker & Shane Black (screenplay), based on the characters by Jim Thomas & John Thomas
Synopsis: When a young boy accidentally triggers the universe's most lethal hunters' return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled scientist can prevent the end of the human race.
war, action
Saving Private Ryan
Written By: Robert Rodat
Synopsis: Following the Normandy Landings, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action.
comedy, action, romance
Scott Pilgrim vs the World
Written By: Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright (screenplay), based on the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley
Synopsis: In a magically realistic version of Toronto, a young man must defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil exes one by one in order to win her heart.
action, thriller
Speed
Written By: Graham Yost
Synopsis: A young police officer must prevent a bomb exploding aboard a city bus by keeping its speed above 50 mph.
action, fantasy
Spider Man
Written By: David Koepp (screenplay), based on the comics by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko
Synopsis: When bitten by a genetically modified spider, a nerdy, shy, and awkward high school student gains spider-like abilities that he eventually must use to fight evil as a superhero after tragedy befalls his family.
ACTION, FANTASY
Spider Man 2
Written By: Alfred Gough (screenplay), based on the comic book by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko
Synopsis: Peter Parker is beset with troubles in his failing personal life as he battles a brilliant scientist named Doctor Otto Octavius.
ANIMATION, ACTION, FANTASY
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
Written By: Phil Lord & Rodney Rothman
Synopsis: Teen Miles Morales becomes Spider-Man of his reality, crossing his path with five counterparts from other dimensions to stop a threat for all realities.
action, drama
Stand By Me
Written By: Raynold Gideon & Bruce A. Evans (screenplay), based on the novel by Stephen King
Synopsis: After the death of one of his friends, a writer recounts a childhood journey with his friends to find the body of a missing boy.
action, sci-fi
Star Wars: A New Hope
The Making of Star Wars • Subscribe on YouTube
Written By: George Lucas
Synopsis: Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.
ACTION, SCI-FI
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Written By: Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan & George Lucas
Synopsis: After the Rebels are brutally overpowered by the Empire on the ice planet Hoth, Luke Skywalker begins Jedi training with Yoda, while his friends are pursued by Darth Vader and a bounty hunter named Boba Fett all over the galaxy.
ACTION, SCI-FI
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Written By: Lawrence Kasdan and J.J. Abrams & Michael Arndt
Synopsis: As a new threat to the galaxy rises, Rey, a desert scavenger, and Finn, an ex-stormtrooper, must join Han Solo and Chewbacca to search for the one hope of restoring peace.
ACTION, SCI-FI
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Written By: George Lucas
Synopsis: Two Jedi escape a hostile blockade to find allies and come across a young boy who may bring balance to the Force, but the long dormant Sith resurface to claim their old glory.
ACTION, SCI-FI
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
Written By: George Lucas
Synopsis: Three years into the Clone Wars, the Jedi rescue Palpatine from Count Dooku. As Obi-Wan pursues a new threat, Anakin acts as a double agent between the Jedi Council and Palpatine and is lured into a sinister plan to rule the galaxy.
action, sci-fi
The Terminator
Written By: James Cameron & William Wisher
Synopsis: A human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity's future salvation.
ACTION, SCI-FI
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2 Behind the Scenes • Subscribe on YouTube
Written By: James Cameron & William Wisher
Synopsis: A cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her teenage son, John Connor, from a more advanced and powerful cyborg.
action, thriller
Tenet
Tenet Fight Scene Explained • Subscribe on YouTube
Written By: Christopher Nolan
Synopsis: Armed with only one word, Tenet, and fighting for the survival of the entire world, a Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time.
action, sci-fi, comedy
Thor: Ragnarok
Written By: Eric Pearson and Craig Kyle & Christopher L. Yost
Synopsis: Imprisoned on the planet Sakaar, Thor must race against time to return to Asgard and stop Ragnarök, the destruction of his world, at the hands of the powerful and ruthless villain Hela.
western, action
Tombstone
Written By: Kevin Jarre
Synopsis: A successful lawman's plans to retire anonymously in Tombstone, Arizona are disrupted by the kind of outlaws he was famous for eliminating.
action, sci-fi
War for the Planet of the Apes
Written By: Mark Bomback & Matt Reeves (screenplay), based on the characters by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver
Synopsis: After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind.
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