The official trailer has arrived for The Rivals of Amziah King, a honey-fuelled rural drama that marks Matthew McConaughey’s first live-action theatrical film appearance since 2019’s The Gentlemen (2025’s The Lost Bus was an Apple TV release). Watch the trailer above, then read on for what we know.
Matthew McConaughey Runs a Risky Honey Business
The Rivals of Amziah King takes viewers deep into the backwoods of rural Oklahoma, where McConaughey plays Amziah King, a charismatic, musically gifted figure who runs the town’s top honey-making operation while also leading a bluegrass-playing band of misfits.
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The story kicks into gear when Amziah’s estranged foster daughter, played by Angelina LookingGlass (Dark Winds), unexpectedly returns. For Amziah, it is a chance to rebuild a bond and maybe even create a family business. Of course, this is not exactly the cosy honey-farm tale it first appears to be. The honey game is surprisingly ruthless, and Amziah’s rivals are ready to come for everything he has built.
It is a unique setup, and one that gives the film room for the kind of tonal juggling that early reviews suggest is part of the appeal. The trailer gives the film a colourful Southern flavour, mixing family drama, music, offbeat humour, and a growing sense of danger as Amziah’s carefully built world starts to wobble.
Kurt Russell also appears in the trailer, seemingly positioned somewhere around the film’s brewing conflict, while the wider cast includes Cole Sprouse, Owen Teague, Jake Horowitz, Tony Revolori, Scott Shepherd, and Rob Morgan.
A Promising Sophomore Effort From The Vast of Night Director
The Rivals of Amziah King is written and directed by Andrew Patterson, the filmmaker behind The Vast of Night. That acclaimed debut, a small-town sci-fi mystery with an old-school Amblin-like spark, earned strong attention after its festival run and release on Prime Video.
Patterson’s follow-up had its world premiere at the 2025 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival, where it was met with a very positive early response. At the time of writing, the film is sitting at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Rivals of Amziah King Release Date
The Rivals of Amziah King will open in U.S. cinemas on August 14, followed by Australian cinemas on August 20.
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