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Comeback of 90s heartthrob o Matthew McConaughey on his sweet return to big screen

M ATTHEW McConaughey had plenty of reasons to select The Rivals of Amziah King , a honey-themed thriller set in the American Southwest, for his return to the big screen after more than five years away. “The joy, the soul, the humour, the music, the poetry, the mythology, original time, place and space,” the Oscar-winning actor told AFP when asked why he had chosen the indie film for his comeback. Written and directed by Andrew Patterson, The Rivals of Amziah King follows McConaughey’s charismatic local honey producer, who splits his time between tending his beehives and playing the banjo in a folk band of friends and neighbours. “I knew these people. I liked the way they loved each other. I liked the way they fought with each other, I liked the way they cared. I liked the way they use music and humour to survive. “Amziah is a guy who really, at the heart of himself, gives people belonging, helps people belong and that’s part of the thing. This wasn’t the reason I did it but in hindsight, I go: ‘That’s a nice thing to put out there into the world and share with people,’” the 56-year-old Texan said. ‘Strong indigenous woman’ McConaughey stepped away from movies after Guy Ritchie’s 2019 dark comedy The Gentlemen , turning his focus to writing his memoir Greenlights . Although movie-goers saw him last year in The Lost Bus , that was filmed after The Rivals of Amziah King wrapped. The Southwestern US tale, which draws on genres such as crime, comedy, musical and drama, sees King’s life take on a new purpose when he reconnects with Kateri – played by Angelina LookingGlass – a young Native American woman he had first taken in years earlier with his late wife. With life lessons learnt among the bees, communal dinners and music, King not only DIRECTOR Dave Green said it was a “crazy miracle” that the live-action animated Looney Tunes comedy Coyote vs Acme finally secured a 2026 release date after being shelved in 2023. “We saw this incredible outpouring of support from friends and other filmmakers and people we had never met, people who were fans of this brand, people who had never even seen Looney Tunes,” Green said. For the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows director, the film’s survival after being dropped by Warner Bros Discovery and spending years in distribution limbo mirrored the movie’s central message of determination. The film was eventually picked up by Ketchup Entertainment in 2025. The movie follows Wile E. Coyote as he takes the Acme Corporation to court after its products repeatedly fail him in his pursuit of the Road Runner. Represented by struggling attorney Kevin Avery, played by Will Forte, Wile E. seeks justice against the company. The film is based on Ian Frazier’s 1990 The New Yorker article Coyote v Acme. “It’s really back to the spirit of resilience of Wiley, the character, and because that’s really what our audience did for us. They stood up and they did not stop standing up,” Green said. The cast also includes Lana Condor as Paige Avery, Kevin’s niece and John Cena as Buddy Crane, Acme’s attorney. Longtime Looney Tunes voice actor Eric Bauza voices several beloved characters, including Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Tweety Bird and Foghorn Leghorn. “There’s so many classic characters that we tap upon in this film, that when one is done, you go

Amziah character came after that,” Patterson explained. McConaughey was not initially in his plans, said the indie filmmaker, who also added Kurt Russell to his cast. “I was just a guy in Oklahoma writing scripts, making little movies. It had nothing. There was no way that this had any chance to get in front of him. “And over a number of years and people getting behind my career, and you know, I think in spirit, Matthew and I were on a collision course for each other. There was no way of knowing that it would happen.” Patterson said he was “grateful” to have a movie that opened in US cinemas recently and delighted that it was with such a stellar talent. I’m “humbled that I’m getting to put Matthew back in cinema after six and a half years,” he said. The Rivals of Amziah King marks McConaughey to the big screen after a five-year hiatus. – IMDBPIC

McConaughey attends the The Rivals of Amziah King world premiere in Austin, Texas. – AFPPIC

said the 22-year-old. That sting was intentional on the part of Patterson, who developed the project after his acclaimed debut film The Vast of Night (2019). Patterson wanted to centre the film around a Native American woman who stops at nothing, he said. “She just uses her intellect and resourcefulness. And I was excited to put that kind of character into the world. That was that was quite literally the germ of an idea that made me want to go, and then eventually the

helps her gradually integrate into the community but also passes on his leadership role to her. However, the young woman soon learns that the world of honey is not as sweet as it seems. For LookingGlass, the role was a perfect fit. “I really loved playing her. A lot of people would underestimate her just by just looking at her. You know, they wouldn’t expect the things that she does. Her being this really strong indigenous woman and this person that goes under the radar, but then like bites at the end,”

Shelved no more: Coyote vs Acme brings Looney Tunes back to big screen

to the next scene and you’re like, ‘Wait, who’s that in the background?’” Bauza said. For Forte and Cena, Looney Tunes has been a childhood staple. “I was born in 1970, and I don’t remember life without Looney Tunes. It was a constant presence in my life,” Forte said. Cena said while he grew up with the cartoons, recreating the childhood experience is not a Coyote vs Acme is playing in cinemas this August after a rescue from being shelved. – PICS FROM IMDB

The film follows Wile E. as he launches a lawsuit against Acme for its faulty products.

Condor agreed, admitting she was never a major Looney Tunes fan before joining the film. “I’m such a loser. My parents introduced me to Looney Tunes and so did my grandparents. But I have to say, it wasn’t the biggest fixture in my house, which I’m so sad about,” Condor, the To All the Boys I’ve Ever Loved Before actor, said. Coyote vs Acme arrives in cinemas next Friday. – Reuters

prerequisite for enjoying the film. “I’m in Will (Forte’s) camp. I grew up... with Looney Tunes. They were on in the morning before I went to school. They were on exactly at the time I got out of school in the afternoon. Network programmers knew what they were up to,” the Peacemaker actor said. Still, he stressed Coyote vs Acme is not solely for longtime fans.