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Matthew McConaughey is making his long-awaited return to the big screen after more than five years away, starring in the unconventional thriller The Rivals of Amziah King.
The Oscar-winning actor plays Amziah King, a charismatic honey producer in the American Southwest whose life revolves around beekeeping, music and a close-knit community of friends and neighbours.
Written and directed by Andrew Patterson, the film blends crime, comedy, music and drama as it explores the bonds between people living in a remote community.
McConaughey said the film’s “joy, soul, humor, music, poetry” and mythology, along with its distinctive setting, convinced him to take the role for his return to cinema.
“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,” the 56-year-old Texan told Agence France-Presse.
“I liked the way they use music and humor to survive.”
At the centre of the story is Amziah, who divides his time between tending his beehives and playing the banjo with a folk band made up of friends and neighbours.
McConaughey said Amziah is a character who helps people find a sense of belonging.
“Amziah is a guy who really, at the heart of himself, gives people belonging, helps people belong,” he said.
The story takes a darker turn with the arrival of Kateri, a 22-year-old Native American woman played by Angelina LookingGlass. Through beekeeping, music and community gatherings, Amziah helps Kateri find her place in the local community, but she soon discovers that his honey business hides a more complicated and unsettling reality.
Patterson, who received critical acclaim for his 2019 debut The Vast of Night, developed the story around a Native American woman facing adversity through intelligence, resilience and resourcefulness.
McConaughey was not originally part of Patterson’s plans for the character of Amziah King. His eventual involvement helped reshape the role and added significance to the actor’s return to the screen.
McConaughey stepped away from acting after The Gentlemen and subsequently focused on writing his memoir, Greenlights. His return with such an unusual character has already drawn attention from film audiences.
The Rivals of Amziah King is scheduled to open in US cinemas on Friday, August 14, marking McConaughey’s first major big-screen appearance in more than five years.