'The Rivals of Amziah King' Trailer: Matthew McConaughey Stars as a Beekeeper and Bluegrass Bandleader in Andrew Patterson's Sophomore Film
By
Kate Erbland
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· 2 sourcesMatthew McConaughey stars as a beekeeper and bluegrass bandleader in Andrew Patterson's sophomore film "The Rivals of Amziah King," which premiered at SXSW 2025 and is set for theatrical release on August 14, 2026. IndieWire reported the film blends music, violence, and rural Americana, following McConaughey's character who herds a band of misfits while overseeing a honey-making operation. People.com noted the film marks McConaughey's first theatrical role since 2019 and features Kurt Russell as his rival, with a trailer released on May 11, 2026.
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Summary
Andrew Patterson's sophomore film "The Rivals of Amziah King," starring Matthew McConaughey as a charismatic beekeeper and bluegrass bandleader in rural Oklahoma, premiered at SXSW 2025 and is set for theatrical release in August 2025. The film blends elements of music, violence, and rural Americana, following McConaughey's character who herds a bluegrass-playing band of misfits while overseeing a honey-making operation.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledSet within the deep backwoods of rural Oklahoma, the film follows the charismatic and musically gifted Amziah King (McConaughey) who herds a bluegrass-playing band of misfits while overseeing the premier honey-making operation in the region.
There's a lot to parse about 'The Rivals of Amziah King,' 'The Vast of Night' filmmaker Andrew Patterson's sophomore feature, which is positively buzzing with elements as seemingly disparate as 'Matthew McConaughey is a beekeeper' and 'it's also kind of a musical' and 'oh, it also gets pretty violent.'
After wowing SXSW in 2025, Andrew Patterson's sophomore film is flying into theaters this August (yes, that's a bee-based joke).
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