Hedlund, Lacy and Biel to Lead Montana Dramedy Downriver

Garrett Hedlund, Jake Lacy and Jessica Biel will lead Downriver, a new dramedy set on a fly-fishing trip in Montana.

The casting was confirmed on 12 October 2026, according to Deadline. Downriver is described as a dramedy, a story that mixes drama and comedy rather than sitting fully in one genre.

The plot centres on two old friends. One is a writer whose marriage has recently ended. The other is a surgeon. They head to Montana together for a fishing break, and the trip unravels after they meet a fishing guide.

Sam Jones will direct the film. He co-wrote the script with author Carl Hiaasen. It will be Jones's scripted feature debut, his first time directing a fictional story written for the screen.

The film comes from Artists Equity Independent Pictures and Hungry Bull Productions, according to Deadline. Artists Equity Independent Pictures, known as AEIP, is the independent arm of Artists Equity. That is the production company started by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Gerry Cardinale. Independent here means films made outside the big studio system, usually with tighter budgets and more creative control for the film-makers.

Downriver is the second project to come from AEIP. It follows A Woman in the Sun, from writer Julia Cox. That ordering matters in the industry. A second film helps establish what kind of slate a new label wants to build.

The producing team is organised around both companies and individual producers. AEIP and Hungry Bull Productions will produce alongside Seth Caplan, Dori Rath and Joseph Restaino. Michael London is also producing through his company Groundswell Productions, according to Deadline. Producers oversee a film from development through delivery, from hiring to budget to post-production.

No cinema release date or filming start date was included in the announcement. That is normal at the casting stage. Dates are usually claimed later once production is planned and a distributor sets the calendar.

For viewers keeping track, Downriver now moves to the next practical steps. Those are filling out the rest of the cast and crew, locking locations in Montana, and setting a shoot.