Central Illinois is about to heat up this summer as production begins on the dark comedy Chili Finger, featuring an impressive ensemble cast led by Judy Greer, Sean Astin, Bryan Cranston, and John Goodman.
Co-directed by newcomers Edd Benda and Stephen Helstad, with Helstad also penning the script, Chili Finger promises to serve a quirky and chaotic tale of blackmail gone hilariously wrong. Based on a true story, Greer headlines as a recently empty-nested Midwestern mother whose life spirals wildly out of control after discovering a human finger in her bowl of fast-food chili and deciding to leverage the incident for a quick payday.
“We couldn’t ask for a better cast to bring our quirky dark comedy to the big screen,” co-directors Benda and Helstad told Deadline. “We are grateful for the opportunity to share a sensational slice of Midwest life with audiences worldwide.”
Additional cast members include Sarah Herrman and Paul Stanko, while details of the roles played by Astin, Cranston, and Goodman remain tightly under wraps. Goodman also serves as an executive producer alongside producers Sam Sandweiss (Darkwell Entertainment), Tim Chonacas (Gold Tree Studios), Jo Henriquez, Jack Sheehan, Scott Martin, and Michael Slifkin.
Chili Finger is produced by Beyond the Porch and Gold Tree Studios, with distribution being introduced globally at the American Film Market (AFM) in Las Vegas. Moonstone Entertainment is handling international sales, while Gersh manages domestic distribution.
Greer’s extensive career, featuring over 200 credits, continues strong with upcoming appearances in Apple TV+’s The Last Thing He Told Me, Lionsgate’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and Rob Burnett’s indie film In Memoriam. Astin, beloved for his role in The Lord of the Rings, will soon debut on Broadway as Santa in Elf: The Musical. Goodman will next appear in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s latest untitled film, and Cranston is set to star alongside Allison Janney in Everything’s Going to Be Great.
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