Samara Weaving and Kyle Gallner Ignite the Screen in Romantic Thriller Carolina Caroline, Hitting Theaters in 2026

Here we go: a romantic crime thriller called 'Carolina Caroline' just locked North American distribution with Magnolia, and yes, you are going to have to wait for it. The plan is a theatrical release in 2026. The movie premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last month, which explains why the deal landed now. One other fun wrinkle: despite the title, they shot it in Kentucky instead of either Carolina. Sure, why not.

The film comes from director Adam Carter Rehmeier, the guy behind 'Dinner in America,' working off a feature script from first-timer Tom Dean. The hook is simple and sticky: Samara Weaving plays a small-town runaway hunting for her estranged mom, and Kyle Gallner is the charming con artist she falls in with while he’s dodging the law. They blaze across the American Southeast, trailing messy passion and messy crime, which is exactly the sort of chaos these two are great at selling.

Magnolia is the one releasing it in North America, and they’re going big-screen with it. The only catch is the calendar: 2026 is a ways off. The upside: if they’re taking their time, maybe they’re serious about positioning it right.

There’s also a country soundtrack that actually sounds curated: tracks from Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, and Loretta Lynn are name-checked, which tells you the movie knows the vibe it wants.

• Leads: Samara Weaving ('Ready or Not,' 'Mayhem,' 'The Babysitter,' 'Guns Akimbo,' 'Scream VI,' and 'Ash vs. Evil Dead') and Kyle Gallner ('Red,' 'The Haunting in Connecticut,' 'Jennifer's Body,' 'A Nightmare on Elm Street,' 'Red State,' 'The Walking Dead,' 'The Cleanse,' 'Alien Code,' 'Ghosts of War,' 'Smile,' 'The Passenger,' 'Mother, May I?,' and 'Smile 2').
• Key roles: Kyra Sedgwick plays the estranged mother; Jon Gries (forever Uncle Rico from 'Napoleon Dynamite,' also in 'Real Genius,' 'TerrorVision,' and 'The Monster Squad').
• Director: Adam Carter Rehmeier ('Dinner in America').
• Writer: Tom Dean (his first produced feature screenplay).
• Producers: Stephen Braun (Bee-Hive Productions); Tim and Trevor White (Star Thrower Entertainment); Eric B. Fleischman and Chris Abernathy (The Wonder Company); Chris Ward (Create & Complete Entertainment).
• Executive producers: Jan McAdoo (MacPac Entertainment); Brittany Kahan Ward; Trent Hubbard.
• Co-producer: Laena Carroll (Star Thrower).
• Where/when: Shot in Kentucky last year; premiered at Toronto last month; Magnolia targeting a 2026 theatrical rollout.
• Soundtrack: Country-leaning, including Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, and Loretta Lynn.

Rehmeier is clearly thrilled with the leads, and he said so out loud:

'Samara and Kyle are delivering truly electric, nuanced performances, equal parts thrilling, romantic, comedic and moving. It’s been inspiring working with them Kyra Sedgwick and Jon Gries, as well as my regular core crew of artists and the entire incredible team on this project.'

And Samara Weaving, when asked about teaming with Gallner, kept it short and sweet:

'Oh, it’s gonna be magical. It’s gonna be... he’s awesome. I’ve been wanting to work with him for ages and I’m so glad we got to find this.'

Bottom line: strong leads, a director with a track record for off-kilter energy, a road-movie romance that gets messy, and a legit country playlist. The only downside is the wait. If Magnolia sticks the landing, though, this could be a very fun theatrical watch in 2026.