Matthew McConaughey Sings and Drums His Way to a Standing Ovation at SXSW Premiere of ‘The Rivals of Amziah King’

variety.com:

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment Writer Swarming bees, a story of sweet retribution, and a joyful, mandolin-playing Matthew McConaughey led “The Rivals of Amziah King” to a roaring standing ovation after its late night premiere at the SXSW Film & TV Festival on March 10.

McConaughey introduced the film at the Paramount Theater by referencing Variety’s recent interview that noted the Oscar-winning actor had not appeared in a film since 2019. “I did not know — someone told me it’s been six years since I’d done a film or been on screen,” he said. “Seemed like it’d been quicker than that.

I was writing a book and stuff; I thought I was busy!” McConaughey said he was drawn to the idiosyncratic characters who populate the script by writer-director Andrew Patterson, which centers on the powerful bond between McConaughey’s titular Oklahoma beekeeper and his former foster child, Kateri (Angelina LookingGlass, in a striking debut), but also includes a sprawling ensemble of working class misfits. “It’s also kind of a musical!” McConaughey added. “I didn’t know it was going to be such a musical until I saw it.” He wasn’t kidding: The film opens with a rousing folk music performance led by McConaughey outside of a local drive-in restaurant, the first of six live numbers that include much of the film’s cast performing their own instruments. “We would walk around just playing,” said Rob Morgan in the Q&A following the film.