Jonathan Majors is set to star in Mark Brown’s political thriller Dinner at Nick’s, the Barbershop creator announced in May 2026. The film unfolds over the course of a single dinner in the weeks following the 2024 presidential election, centering on seven friends split between Black Democrats and Black Republicans as they debate American politics and strive to find common ground.
The story begins as an intimate gathering but quickly transforms into a pressure cooker of political, cultural, and generational tensions. As civil discourse gives way to fiery debate, old friendships are tested when discussions about race, gender, and political stance expose raw nerves and deep divisions. By the final course, the question shifts from who is right or wrong to whether common ground can still be found as the group faces life and death decisions and spirals toward political violence.
Brown, who wrote and will direct the film, drew inspiration from personal conversations following the 2024 elections. “Dinner at Nick’s came about as a result of hearing and often participating in several conversations with family and close friends following the 2024 elections as so many people were trying to process how they felt,” Brown said. “Those conversations proved that politics is more than skin deep and African Americans differ in politics as they differ in shades of brown.”
Brown also expressed enthusiasm about Majors’ involvement. “I’m truly excited to be working with an actor as gifted as Jonathan. The scope, depth, and raw intensity he brings to every performance will no doubt leave audiences completely captivated as he has left me, several times during rehearsal,” he said.
Producer Jonah Hirsch praised the project’s timeliness. “Mark Brown has a unique voice that challenges and pushes the conversation on politics and race. He has written a very honest and daring script. This is a very timely film that needs to be told, especially now, in the new reality we find ourselves in,” Hirsch said. The independent film is scheduled to shoot early summer 2026, with producers including Hirsch, AJ Munoz, and Manny Hailey.
Dinner at Nick’s follows Majors’ booking on a Daily Wire action film, where he and co-star JC Kilcoyne accidentally tumbled out of a window while filming a scene. Majors is also attached to the supernatural revenge thriller Merciless from director Martin Villeneuve. These projects mark part of his broader comeback following a 2023 domestic assault conviction and the subsequent dismissal of a federal lawsuit filed by his then-girlfriend, which included defamation claims.
Sources
- Deadline — Exclusive announcement of Jonathan Majors’ casting in Dinner at Nick’s, director Mark Brown’s background, film plot, production timeline, and producer information
- AV Club — Confirmation of Majors’ non-studio work pipeline and context on his comeback trajectory
- Paste Magazine — Film premise and casting details
