One of the final film projects of the late Hollywood icon David Lynch is heading to the American Film Market with a fresh cast and a production start date.
The psychological thriller “Hyena,” which Lynch exec produced, will star Kiernan Shipka, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Edgar Ramírez, Rosemarie DeWitt. Scott Coffey, who starred in Lynch’s “Mullholland Drive,” will direct, while Oscar-nominated producer David Lancaster (“Whiplash”) also exec produces.
Coffey directs from a screenplay he co-wrote with novelist Blair Mastbaum. Production is slated to begin in Spokane, Washington early next year.
“Hyena” follows Genevieve (Shipka), who brings her enigmatic new boyfriend Alexei (Woon-A-Tai) home to meet her seemingly idyllic family. Their attempts to welcome him begin to fracture as Alexei turns his attention toward the family, working his way into them and exposing long-buried secrets, desires and hypocrisies — until Genevieve is the only one left willing to see him clearly, and saving what remains of her family demands an unspeakable sacrifice.
The film is among the last credits for Lynch, the iconic filmmaker who died in January 2025. Coffey appeared as Wilkins in Mulholland Drive, and following this collaboration, Lynch became a mentor to Coffey and was closely involved in the early development of “Hyena.”
“Hyena is a very personal film. I’ve always believed the most unsettling horror isn’t supernatural — it’s the moment grief and love turn feral, when we stop pretending we aren’t wild,” said Coffey, whose previous features include “Ellie Parker” and “Adult World.” “Kiernan Shipka, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Edgar Ramírez, and Rosemarie DeWitt will bring extraordinary depth, intelligence, and vulnerability to the movie.”
Shipka’s credits include Osgood Perkins’ “Longlegs,” Gia Coppola’s “The Last Showgirl,” Macon Blair’s “Idiots,” HBO’s smash hit “Industry” and AMC’s “Mad Men.” Woon-A-Tai is known for his performance in FX’s “Reservation Dogs.” He was most recently seen in Andrew Haigh’s “A Long Winter,” Darren Aronofsky’s “Caught Stealing” and Alex Garland’s “Warfare.” Ramírez was recently be seen in Jacques Audiard’s Oscar-winning “Emilia Pérez” and Eli Roth’s “Borderlands.” Next up, he’ll headline season two of HBO’s acclaimed series “Task.” Known for “Rachel Getting Married” and “La La Land,” DeWitt recently starred in “Smile 2,” can currently be seen in the Netflix crime drama “Untamed” opposite Erica Bana, and starred in Cannes entry “Diamond” alongside Andy Garcia, Brendan Fraser, Bill Murray & Dustin Hoffman.
Upgrade and WME Independent are handling sales on Hyena and will introduce the project to buyers at the upcoming fall market. David Lancaster (Whiplash, Nightcrawler) will produce alongside Jeff Elliott (Canary Black).
“Hyena” was previously packaged with Archie Madekwe and Havana Rose Liu to star, with a 2025 shoot date.
