Sumith Prasad
The shooting of Matthew McConaughey-starrer crime film ‘The Rivals of Amziah King’ has wrapped filming in Alabama. The movie was significantly shot in and around the city of Birmingham, located in the north-central region of the state. “THAT IS A WRAP ON THE RIVALS OF AMZIAH KING, in Birmingham (and many other towns), Alabama! Two months ago, this movie started filming and it was an amazing journey to get to the end! In all total, 528 of you came to set, and every one of you gave us your time and your efforts and we appreciate each of you and what you brought to this film!” Goleman Casting shared.
The film revolves around Kateri, who ended up in the care of her foster parent Amziah King following the death of her mother. “He became her mentor and taught her valuable skills that she never knew she possessed. However, Kateri’s newfound strength is put to the test when she faces a mysterious and devastating situation, forcing her to seek justice by relying on the qualities she has developed under Amziah’s guidance. Years later, Kateri leaves her small town behind for bigger ventures but is brought back when she learns her grandfather has gone missing,” the logline reads.
McConaughey was spotted in the state since the filming of the movie began in June 2023. As per local reports, around 70 locations in the Greater Birmingham region hosted the production for filming. In June 2023, the Academy Award-winning actor was spotted in J & J Grocery and Deli, located in Bessemer, a southwestern suburb of Birmingham. Automotive Friction Material in Birmingham is another site where the actor was spotted. The shooting also took place in a steakhouse in Pell City, which is located nearly 35 miles away from Birmingham.
Kurt Russell, who plays an integral but undisclosed character in the film, was spotted filming in Marshall County, especially in the city of Albertville. The actor was also seen in Jefferson County, driving a pickup truck on Birmingport Road, Mulga Loop Road, and other roads in the town of Mulga, located near the Birmingham suburb of Pleasant Grove. Russell shot his scenes in a private residence in Calera, a city in Shelby and Chilton counties, as well. The rest of the filming locations in Alabama include the former Bobby Bowdon’s Discount Furniture store, Unique Industries Inc., a community center near Legion Field, an ice cream shop in Walker County, etc.
The shooting of the film began in early June. Since the production received a waiver from SAG-AFTRA to move forward with the filming, the same wasn’t affected by the ongoing strike. The lensing then seemingly concluded in the first week of August 2023. ‘Django Unchained,’ ‘Gladiator,’ ‘Man of Steel,’ ‘Get Out,’ ‘Iron Man,’ ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind,’ ‘The Insider,’ etc. are some of the popular projects filmed in the state.
McConaughey is playing the titular character Amziah King after lending his voice to Elvis Presley in ‘Agent Elvis’ and Buster Moon in ‘Sing 2.’ His recently released films include ‘The Gentlemen,’ ‘Between Two Ferns: The Movie,’ ‘The Beach Bum,’ ‘Serenity,’ etc. Russell joined the film after lending his voice to Ego in ‘What If…?’ and playing Mr. Nobody in ‘F9,’ Santa Claus in ‘The Christmas Chronicles 2,’ Randy Lloyd/The Narrator in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,’ etc.
Andrew Patterson, who made his feature film debut with Sierra McCormick-starrer ‘The Vast of Night,’ is at the helm of the film. He also penned the movie under the pseudonym James Montague. Black Bear Pictures (‘The Imitation Game’) and Heyday Films (‘Barbie’ and the ‘Harry Potter’ films) teamed up for the production. The release date of the film is yet to be announced.
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