Stephen McKinley Henderson Signs On to Lead Crime Drama Anglers
Stephen McKinley Henderson has signed on to lead Anglers, an independent crime drama that will shoot in Houston, Texas, in December, Deadline reported on 2 November 2026.
An independent film is one made outside the major studios, usually on a smaller budget. Anglers is written and directed by Zoe Simone, and it marks her first feature as a director. Simone is a graduate of the Rita and Burton Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where she received both a bachelor's and a master's degree in screenwriting.
Henderson plays a larger-than-life man near the end of his career. He sets out to seek justice against three internet crusaders after an online sting operation goes too far. A sting, in this case, is a set-up designed to catch someone in the act, and the film follows what happens when that plan turns on the people who ran it.
Henderson is a multiple Tony Award nominee, recognised for his work on Broadway in Fences and Between Riverside and Crazy. He joins a cast that includes Ra'Mya Latiah Aikens, Bella Samman, Raffi Manjikian, Beau Karnsrithong, Justin Lee Dudo and Gregg Kearns, according to Deadline.
The production is led by Jamund Washington and Kelley Robins Hicks, with Jake Weiner of Harvest Hill Entertainment also producing. Weiner also manages Simone, Deadline noted, so the same company sits on both sides of the project's creative team.
Houston holds a personal link for the director. It is Simone's hometown, so the December shoot brings the story back to the city where she grew up. Filming there is a practical choice as well as a personal one, since shooting in a film's home city can keep the crew close to local locations and talent.
No release date or distributor has been announced. For now, the news is simple: a veteran stage actor has joined a first-time director's debut, and the cameras are set to roll in Houston next month.
