King Ivory Stars Reveal How Indie Action Differs From Studio Movies (Like Hiring Actors Off the Street)

November 13, 2025, 5:43pm

This Friday, you’ll be able to walk into a movie theater and see multiple action movies paid for and marketed by studios, but you’ll also have the chance to see King Ivory, a new independent action title from Saban Films and Roadside Attractions. Boasting an all-star cast that includes James Badge Dale, Ben Foster, Michael Mando, and Melissa Leo, King Ivory tells the story of cops and criminals in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and how the modern drug trade has changed everything. Speaking with ComicBook about their work on the movie, the stars had distinct markers for what sets the world in independent film apart from working on studio movies, and it may surprise fans.

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Foster, star of Hell or High Water and 3:10 to Yuma, said that even though he loved working on studio movies, working in independent film forces the cast and crew to lift each other up every step of the way. He adds, “You’ve got limited time, you have limited budget, and you’ve got to do perhaps a different kind of homework. And John Swab (writer/director) does his homework. He’s open to creative interpretation. He likes to collaborate. He keeps quality control. And when you have an IP that has a lot of money behind it and people or responsible, you might have a little less flexibility in the moment in the scene. And I think this film reflects some real-life stuff that perhaps might have been watered down otherwise.”

James Badge Dale, star of Iron Man 3 and 13 Hours, reiterated that indie films have less time and money than their studio counterparts, and that working quickly is a requirement, but that creates a great sense of collaboration.

“We had a great stunt crew,” Dale said. “We had a lot of great people to work with, and we had the SWAT guys with us. And, John Swab is one of those guys, man. He knows everyone in Tulsa. He goes back deep. He knows the gangsters. He knows the cops. He knows the guys on the street. He knows the guys in the high rises, and he can talk to all of them calmly and openly and bring them in. And John knows how to ask for help. So we had it, and it was a collaborative thing. Roll the cameras. We’ll try to get it right.”

Michael Mando, star of Better Call Saul and Spider-Man: Homecoming (plus the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day), had one final anecdote to make the distinction clear, revealing they would often get ready to film a scene in King Ivory without knowing who their scene partner would be.

“We were pulling people from the streets to play our scene partners. I’m not exaggerating,” Mando said. “It was a pivotal scene at the beginning of the film, and we didn’t have actors, so we had to make phone calls and wait for someone to show up. And when they showed up, the actress said, ‘I think my mother would play this better.’ And her mother, I don’t think, has ever been on camera. So it was really one of those things where we pulled people from like a 7-Eleven, had them sign papers, and then put them into the movie. So that’s just something I want to say about this film. For all the independent filmmakers out there, there’s always a way, you know, you’ve just got to stick together and believe in what you’re doing.”

King Ivory arrives in theaters on Friday, November 14th.