The film, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Howard, will initially open in select theatres on December 25, 2027, before expanding on January 7. It is then expected to receive a wider release over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, from January 14 to 17.
The release strategy places Alone at Dawn in a period that has traditionally attracted prestige dramas and adult-oriented action films, particularly titles based on extraordinary real-life events.
Anne Hathaway, Adam Driver and Betty Gilpin lead the cast.
True story behind the film
Alone at Dawn is based on the 2019 book of the same name by Dan Schilling and Lori Longfritz, which chronicles the story of United States Air Force combat controller John Chapman.
Chapman was killed while attempting to save fellow servicemen during a battle in Afghanistan.
Years after his death, an intelligence officer sets out to establish the full extent of Chapman's actions and ensure that his bravery receives appropriate recognition.
The investigation ultimately contributes to Chapman being awarded the Medal of Honor, the United States military's highest decoration for valor.
Michael Russell Gunn adapted the book for the screenplay.
The film brings together Hathaway, a previous Oscar winner, Driver, a two-time Oscar nominee, and Gilpin, who recently won an Emmy.
Howard leads production team
Howard is directing the film as part of a production team involving his Imagine Entertainment partners.
Producers include Imagine's Brian Grazer, Howard, Jeb Brody and Allan Mandelbaum, alongside Hideaway Entertainment's Jonathan Gray.
Matthew Rhodes, Ron West, Kristy Grisham, William M. Connor and Patrick Newall are also producers.
Thruline Entertainment is involved in producing the action drama.
The production remains in the finishing stages, according to reports, with the 2027 Christmas window providing the targeted theatrical launch.
Holiday season offers proven territory
Amazon MGM's decision to open the film on Christmas Day places it in a traditionally important period for films seeking prestige positioning and strong adult audiences.
Recent examples of action-oriented dramas that benefited from holiday-season launches include American Sniper, Lone Survivor and 1917.
The Christmas corridor can also provide films with an extended run through the New Year period before the awards season reaches its peak.
For Alone at Dawn, the platform opening followed by a January expansion will allow Amazon MGM to build the film's theatrical presence progressively rather than relying on an immediate nationwide release.
Amazon MGM builds a busy slate
The announcement adds another major title to an increasingly ambitious theatrical slate for Amazon MGM Studios.
The studio began the year with Project Hail Mary, the Ryan Gosling-led science-fiction film, which has grossed more than $685 million worldwide.
Amazon MGM has also been generating attention with films premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Peter Farrelly's I Play Rocky and Basam Tariq's Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother received strong early reviews following their world premieres at TIFF.
I Play Rocky is scheduled to open on November 6, while Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother begins its platform release on September 25.
Crowded Christmas 2027 ahead
The December 2027 theatrical calendar is still taking shape, but Alone at Dawn will enter a marketplace already beginning to fill with major studio releases.
Warner Bros. currently has a Nancy Meyers-directed feature scheduled around Christmas, while several major event films are positioned for the week before.
Among them are Disney and Marvel Studios' Avengers: Secret Wars, New Line's The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum and Lionsgate's The Housemaid's Secret, all scheduled for December 17, 2027.
The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend is also expected to be competitive, with an untitled Disney release, Paramount's sequel to Longlegs and an untitled Universal event film currently on the calendar.
For Amazon MGM, however, Alone at Dawn will occupy a different space from many of those franchise-driven blockbusters.
The film's real-life military story, prestige cast and Ron Howard's involvement give the studio a potential adult-skewing counterprogramming option during one of Hollywood's busiest theatrical periods.
With its Christmas Day platform debut and subsequent January expansion, Alone at Dawn is being positioned for a gradual theatrical rollout that could carry the film from the holiday corridor into the early 2028 awards-season period.