Matthew McConaughey, Frothy Monkey — Matthew McConaughey was spotted at Frothy Monkey while in town filming “The Rivals of Amziah King.” (Emmali Osterhoudt)

In 2023, Matthew McConaughey topped local headlines while he visited Birmingham to film his latest movie, British crime thriller “The Rivals of Amziah King”.

As per a recent announcement, the indie film is set to premiere at the 2025 South by Southwest Film Festival (March 7-15).

Here’s what we know about “The Rivals of Amziah King”

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Filmed in 2023, “The Rivals of Amziah King” is an upcoming crime thriller directed by filmmaker Andrew Patterson. “Amziah King” is Patterson’s second film; his directorial debut, 2019’s “The Vast of Night,” won the Best Narrative Feature Audience Award at the 2019 Slamdance Film Festival.

“The Rivals of Amziah King” is set in Oklahoma and described in a press release as a “deeply atmospheric, character-focused crime thriller set against the unique backdrop of remote Oklahoma.”

Although details surrounding the film are scarce, we know it follows Kateri (played by Native American actress and singer Angelina LookingGlass) as she reunites with her former foster parent Amziah (played by Matthew McConaughey), who becomes her mentor and is threatened by the town’s rivals.

“The Rivals of Amziah King” has several big names attached in addition to Matthew McConaughey, including:

Kurt Russel
Cole Sprouse
Rob Morgan
Owen Teague
Scott Shepherd
Tony Revolori
Angelina LookingGlass

On Wednesday, February 5, the Instagram accounts of “The Rivals of Amziah King” and Black Bear Pictures announced that the film would premiere at the 2025 South by Southwest (SXSW), a popular film festival held in Austin, Texas since 1987.

Bonus: Want to know what it was like to be an extra in “The Rivals of Amziah King”? Local real estate agent Jessica Daviston and her daughter, Charlotte, were picked to participate as extras in the film—click here to read their story.

“The Rivals of Amziah King” was filmed in Alabama

Mathew McConaughey in Hoover (Bham Now) — Mathew McConaughey was spotted in Hoover. (Bham Now)

Although “The Rivals of Amziah King” is set in Oklahoma, the principal photography for the movie was filmed right here in Alabama.

While the movie was being filmed, local social media was abuzz with spotting of the actors and actresses—specifically Matthew McConaughey. The actor was spotted all over Central Alabama—here’s a recap: