Shia LaBeouf headlines a prison-set drama produced by Ridley Scott, Milo Ventimiglia leads a new HBO Max pilot centered on police reform, and a Southern Gothic thriller from Jeff Nichols heads into production in Arkansas.
God of the Rodeo (Scott Free Productions)
Scott Free Productions is moving forward with God of the Rodeo, a period drama set within Louisiana’s Angola Prison in 1967. The film follows a life-sentenced inmate who finds a potential path to redemption through the prison’s first inmate rodeo—only to discover the event’s darker purpose as a spectacle for public consumption.
Written and directed by Rosalind Ross, the project is produced by Ridley Scott alongside Michael Pruss and Giannina Scott. Shia LaBeouf stars in the lead role. While the story is set in Louisiana, production is scheduled for Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, beginning July 14. The project’s setting and subject matter suggest a character-driven drama with large-scale set pieces tied to the rodeo sequences.
American Blue (Pilot, HBO Max)
HBO Max is developing American Blue, a new pilot focused on a disgraced police officer returning to his hometown to rebuild both his career and a struggling department. Set in Joliet, Illinois, and filming in both Joliet and Chicago beginning April 27, the series explores themes of institutional reform and personal redemption within a contemporary law enforcement context.
The pilot is written by Jeremy Carver, who will serve as producer alongside Brian Udovich. Milo Ventimiglia will star as the central character, anchoring what appears to be a grounded, character-focused procedural with serialized elements.
King Snake (Tri-State Pictures)
A Southern Gothic thriller is set to begin filming April 22 in Little Rock, Arkansas, as King Snake moves into production. Written by Jeff Nichols, the film follows a young couple who inherit a remote farm and must confront both its troubled past and a growing supernatural threat.
Produced by Nichols, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Sarah Green, the project brings together a strong creative team, including cinematographer Adam Stone, a frequent collaborator of Nichols. The cast includes Margaret Qualley, Drew Starkey and Michael Shannon, suggesting a performance-driven approach to the material. With its Arkansas setting and regional production footprint, the film is positioned to lean heavily into atmosphere and location as key storytelling elements.
