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.”
