David Lynch's Final Thriller 'Hyena' Sets Cast, Early 2026 Shoot

By Tom Whitfield

One of David Lynch's final film projects, the psychological thriller "Hyena," is heading to the American Film Market with a new cast and a production start slated for early next year in Spokane, Washington.

Kiernan Shipka, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Edgar Ramírez and Rosemarie DeWitt will star. Scott Coffey, who appeared as Wilkins in Lynch's "Mulholland Drive," will direct from a screenplay he co-wrote with novelist Blair Mastbaum. Oscar-nominated producer David Lancaster ("Whiplash," "Nightcrawler") produces alongside Jeff Elliott ("Canary Black"), with Lancaster also serving as executive producer.

The film counts among the last credits for Lynch, who died in January 2025. According to the production announcement, Lynch was closely involved in the early development of "Hyena" and became a mentor to Coffey after their collaboration on "Mulholland Drive." What that involvement amounted to on the page is not detailed; the announcement names the credit, not the substance.

What is 'Hyena' about?

The story follows Genevieve (Shipka), who brings her enigmatic new boyfriend Alexei (Woon-A-Tai) home to meet her seemingly idyllic family. The family's attempts to welcome him begin to fracture as Alexei works his way into their lives, exposing long-buried secrets, desires and hypocrisies. Genevieve ends up the only one still willing to see him clearly, and saving what remains of her family demands, in the film's own words, an unspeakable sacrifice.

"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," Coffey said in a statement. His 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," Coffey added. Directorial enthusiasm is expected; the material to test it arrives next year.

Who are the stars?

The cast brings recognizable names from film and prestige television:

• Kiernan Shipka: Osgood Perkins' "Longlegs," Gia Coppola's "The Last Showgirl," Macon Blair's "Idiots," HBO's "Industry" and AMC's "Mad Men."
• D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai: FX's "Reservation Dogs," Andrew Haigh's "A Long Winter," Darren Aronofsky's "Caught Stealing" and Alex Garland's "Warfare."
• Edgar Ramírez: Jacques Audiard's Oscar-winning "Emilia Pérez," Eli Roth's "Borderlands," and the lead in season two of HBO's "Task."
• Rosemarie DeWitt: "Rachel Getting Married," "La La Land," "Smile 2," the Netflix crime drama "Untamed" opposite Eric Bana, and the Cannes entry "Diamond" with Andy Garcia, Brendan Fraser, Bill Murray and Dustin Hoffman.

Who is selling it, and what changes for buyers?

Upgrade and WME Independent are handling sales and will introduce the project to buyers at the upcoming fall market. The announcement confirms financing and sales representation are in place; it does not disclose a budget or a distributor.

The practical question — what does this change for buyers at AFM? — has a concrete answer: a recast, re-dated package with a posthumous Lynch credit, four bankable leads and a firm early-2026 start in Spokane. The project was previously packaged with Archie Madekwe and Havana Rose Liu in the lead roles and a 2025 shoot date. Both actors are gone from the package, and that earlier schedule has slipped by roughly a year.

Whether "Hyena" lands a distributor at the fall market, and whether Lynch's developmental fingerprints remain visible in the finished film, will only become clear once cameras roll.