James Cameron and Walton Goggins Team Up for Painter From the John Wick Creator

Painter just picked up two heavy hitters. Walton Goggins is stepping in as the male lead opposite Prey breakout Amber Midthunder, and James Cameron is coming aboard as an executive producer. Yes, that is a very specific kind of upgrade.

The big moves

Per THR, Goggins is replacing Alan Ritchson, who exited because of scheduling conflicts. Meanwhile, Cameron signed on as an EP after 20th Century Studios acquired the film. That acquisition-then-power-producer shuffle is classic studio maneuvering, and it usually means the movie is getting real momentum.

What the movie is

Painter is an action thriller directed by Garrett Warren, a longtime stunt coordinator who worked on Logan. The script is from Derek Kolstad, the guy who launched John Wick. The story follows a young woman on a mission to rescue her kidnapped father, forcing her to dust off the hard training she had when she was younger and use every bit of it to get him back.

'Painter will be a seminal action hero film, making Midthunder into this generation's Sarah Connor (Terminator),' Infrared president Drew Simon said when the project was first announced last year. 'We loved Derek Kolstad's high-octane script, and we know with Garrett Warren at the helm this film will kickstart an exciting new franchise in the world of action.'

Who is doing what

• Star: Amber Midthunder (Prey)
• Co-lead: Walton Goggins (replacing Alan Ritchson, who left due to scheduling)
• Executive producer: James Cameron (joining after 20th Century Studios acquired the film)
• Director: Garrett Warren (Logan stunt coordinator)
• Writer: Derek Kolstad (John Wick)
• Producing banner: Infrared (Drew Simon is the president)
• Studio: 20th Century Studios

Where Goggins has been lately

Goggins has been everywhere: films in 2024 included Queen of the Ring, The Uninvited, and The Luckiest Man in America. In 2025 he popped up in season 3 of HBO's The White Lotus, and he plays The Ghoul in Amazon's Fallout, which is returning for a second season later this year.