Ben Shapiro-Produced Jonathan Majors Film Begins Shooting, With Comeback Risks Unresolved
Monday at 11: 00 a. m. ET, Jonathan Majors was described as having begun filming an untitled action movie in South Carolina, a project produced by Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire and Dallas Sonnier’s Bonfire Legend. For ben shapiro and the production team, what remains unresolved is whether this shoot becomes a one-off attempt or the start of a wider industry re-entry for Majors, something that will only become clearer as additional confirmed projects move from announcement to active production.
Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire project enters active production in South Carolina
Filming is underway in South Carolina on the currently untitled action film, marking Majors’ first movie production to move into active filming since his 2023 conviction. The project is produced by Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire and Dallas Sonnier’s Bonfire Legend, with Kyle Rankin directing and also credited as the screenwriter.
Rankin previously collaborated with the same production companies on Run Hide Fight, described as one of The Daily Wire’s earliest feature projects. Plot details for the new film are being kept tightly under wraps, though the story has been characterized as drawing on the spirit of 1980s and 1990s action titles such as Red Dawn and Toy Soldiers, with young protagonists forced to defend themselves against invading enemies.
Named producers on the film include Travis Mills, Lillian Campbell, and Sydney Aucreman, alongside the producing credits tied to Ben Shapiro and Sonnier. Executive producers include Caleb Robinson and Mike Richards for The Daily Wire, and Majors himself under his Tall Street Productions banner. Key creative roles named for the production include cinematographer Kristopher Kimlin, casting director David Guglielmo, production designer Vincent Reynaud, and costume designer Emma Fleming.
Jonathan Majors’ comeback bid is confirmed, but the scale remains unsettled
Majors’ return to an active film set is confirmed in the sense that filming has been described as having begun in South Carolina, and multiple elements of the creative team have been identified. Still, the larger question of how far this comeback extends remains unsettled because the available information does not confirm distribution plans, a release date, or whether the film leads directly to additional mainstream casting opportunities.
Majors’ career momentum slowed sharply after a 2023 legal outcome described as a conviction for assault involving his former girlfriend. In the immediate aftermath described in the available coverage, he was dropped from multiple projects, lost key studio support, and was removed from major campaigns, including one connected to the United States Army. Coverage also states Marvel cut ties with Majors, and that other film commitments evaporated.
That said, Majors has remained attached to other work. He is described as attached to star in the supernatural revenge thriller Merciless, announced in 2024. Another described project, True Threat, is also in the works, with a plot summary presented in the coverage. Those projects’ ultimate status remains unconfirmed as of 11: 00 a. m. ET in the specific sense that the provided context does not confirm they have entered active production or provided firm start dates.
Kyle Rankin, The Daily Wire, and the next observable signals for Majors’ re-entry
The most immediate, observable signal is already in hand: cameras are said to be rolling in South Carolina on the Daily Wire-backed action film with Kyle Rankin writing and directing. Yet the next clarifying signals will be concrete production and release milestones that the current coverage does not provide—such as a confirmed title, an official release plan, and any public confirmation of when filming wraps.
Other story-native indicators are also trackable, even if they are not confirmed in the context so far. One is whether additional casting or creative announcements arrive for this untitled film, since one account states that a supporting cast has been revealed, naming performers including David Lucas, JC Kilcoyne, Tyler Aser, James Bingham, Savanna Leigh James, Stephen Hailo, Myles Clohessy, Travis Mills, and Darby Cappillino. Another is whether Majors’ other described projects—Merciless and True Threat—move from being “in the works” to entering active filming, which would provide an observable expansion beyond a single comeback vehicle.
The Daily Wire’s strategy is also part of what will shape the outcome. Coverage describes the company as expanding its entertainment division beyond political commentary into scripted film and television, and notes it has previously worked with actors whose careers stalled amid controversy, including Armie Hammer and Gina Carano. That pattern is confirmed as a description in the provided material, but how audiences respond to Majors’ return through this specific film remains unconfirmed as of 11: 00 a. m. ET because no performance metrics, release data, or audience measures are included in the context.
The next confirmed event that moves this story is the continuation of principal photography on the untitled South Carolina production, which has already been described as underway as of 11: 00 a. m. ET. If an official title and release plan are later confirmed for the Ben Shapiro-produced film, further announcements are expected to clarify whether Majors’ comeback extends beyond a single action project into the broader slate of roles described as in development.
