In an exclusive report from The Hollywood Reporter, it has been announced that Natasha Lyonne will write, direct and produce the 80s boxing movie Bambo through her Animal Pictures banner.
The project will follow a Brooklyn-born boxing promoter and father as he fails to become the next Don King, whilst dragging his child daughter along for the ride, full of “tax evasion, cocaine, race cars, lost dreams and heartbreak.” Bambo will also be produced by Max Ferguson, as well as Craig Mazin and Sarah Sarandos. Production is set to begin in the summer of 2026.
This will mark Lyonne’s second movie in the director’s chair following her debut, Uncanny Valley, which is currently in pre-production. The movie, set in the world of immersive video games, looks to mix live-action elements with games while tackling themes around AI and the gaming industry. The project is co-written by Lyonne and Brit Marling.
This announcement comes after the news that the Rian Johnson murder mystery series Poker Face, which stars Lyonne in the lead role, was to be cancelled by Peacock. Johnson is in the process of shopping the show around to other networks with Peter Dinklage as the new lead. Lyonne was nominated for a 2026 Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award for her performance in the show.
Lyonne has recently co-founded The Creators Coalition on AI (CCAI) alongside the likes of Daniel Kwan, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jonathan Wang and David Goyer, to name a few. The coalition hopes to act as a central coordinating hub to upgrade systems and institutions on how AI is impacting every industry.
She also starred, wrote, produced, showran and directed the Netflix series Russian Doll, which went on to win three Emmy’s. Alongside her upcoming projects behind the camera, Lyonne is set to star in Sky’s comedy Force & Majeure alongside Matt Berry, Taika Waititi’s adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun, and Netflix comedy Roommates for Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions. She also has a story by and producing credit on the upcoming Joseph Gordon-Levitt-directed AI thriller, which is currently untitled.
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