Andrew Patterson is bringing Matthew McConaughey back to the big screen with a film that resists easy description. “The Rivals of Amziah King” blends a western, a beehive heist story, a bluegrass musical, comedy and a father-daughter drama into a single feature, marking Patterson’s second directorial effort after his 2019 debut “The Vast of Night.” The film opens on a slow-motion sequence at a desert burger stand set to bluegrass music, staged with the choreography of a dance number. It arrives in theaters Friday, Aug. 14.
The project represents McConaughey’s return to live-action feature acting after a five-year break, his last big-screen role coming in 2020’s “The Gentlemen.” He plays the title character, a charismatic beekeeper running the top honey operation in a small Oklahoma town while leading a ragtag bluegrass band on the side.
When Amziah’s estranged foster daughter returns unexpectedly, he seizes the chance to rebuild their bond and turn the business into a family operation, even as rivals in the honey trade threaten to tear down everything he’s built. Angelina LookingGlass co-stars as the daughter, alongside Kurt Russell, Cole Sprouse, Scott Shepherd, Rob Morgan and Tony Revolori.
Patterson said he weighed his next move carefully after Steven Soderbergh offered him a script to direct following “The Vast of Night.” That earlier film had been acquired by Amazon MGM Studios for a theatrical run, only for the pandemic to force a pivot to drive-in screenings and Prime Video instead. Even so, industry interest in Patterson grew, drawing meetings with Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment and Sony.
He chose to stay independent for “Amziah King,” backed by producers David Heyman, a four-time Oscar nominee also attached to the next James Bond film, and financier Teddy Schwarzman. During that period he also signed with WME agent Mike Simpson, whose client list includes Quentin Tarantino, Park Chan-wook, Tim Burton and Bong Joon Ho.
The film carries an R rating for language and some grisly images and first premiered at SXSW in March 2025 before securing its wide theatrical release this month. Critics who have seen it point to LookingGlass’s performance as a standout debut alongside McConaughey’s turn in the lead role.
