Kurt Russell's New Western Thriller Is Officially His First R-Rated Movie In 7 Years

Kurt Russell's new Western thriller marks an unexpected return for the star in a key way.

Throughout his six-decade-long career, Russell has starred in many movies, such as Tombstone (1993), The Thing (1982), and Miracle (2004). Even so, the veteran actor remains active in the industry in both film and television. He's expected to return for season 2 of the popular Paramount series, The Madison, as Clyburn Preston, but in the meantime, he is starring in a new thriller, The Rivals of Amziah King.

The Rivals of Amziah King is set to be released in theaters and earned an R-rating for "language and some grisly images." This marks the first time one of Russell's movies has been rated R since the 2019 Tarantino film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which received an R rating for "language throughout, some strong graphic violence, drug use, and sexual references."

Russell has had a long career thus far, and since his official movie career started, he has appeared in over 20 R-rated feature films. Among the most popular are Escape from New York (1981), The Hateful Eight (2015), The Thing (1982), and Escape from L.A. (1996).

Throughout his career, movies like Tombstone, Escape from New York, and The Thing showcased Russell as an action star, playing characters like Snake Plissken, Wyatt Earp, and MacReady. Even the character names reflect grit and a no-nonsense swagger, as he was known to portray many of cinema's classic anti-heroes.

Now, in The Rivals of Amziah King, he is playing the central antagonist, Dob McCoy. Directed by Andrew Patterson (The Vast of Night), the film is a Western crime thriller set in rural Oklahoma and revolves around the world of beekeeping and the business of honey production. Matthew McConaughey plays Amziah King, a musician and beekeeper, whose business comes under attack from localized crime headed by McCoy.

The Rivals of Amziah King marks McConaughey's first live-action role in more than five years. After the film premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival, ScreenRant's Mae Abdulbaki called Patterson's second feature, "delightful and moving." She added that "Kurt Russell is in his element playing the antagonist, but The Rivals of Amziah King gives him another dimension even as Kateri plots how to get to him."

Alongside Russell, the film features McConaughey, Angelina LookingGlass — who is making her feature film debut — Rob Morgan, Cole Sprouse, Jake Horowitz, Tony Revolori, Catherine Dyer, Sharon Blackwood, and Sandra Ellis Lafferty. The film features action building throughout, and as Abdulbaki puts it, "an overall beautiful film that earns its ending."

The Rivals of Amziah King is set to release in theaters on August 14, 2026.