Hollywood loves a good crime saga. But they love an "impossible to film" crime saga even more. For years, fans of Don Winslow’s gritty New England trilogy have been asking the same question: where is the City of Fire movie?
Honestly, the road to the big screen has been a bit of a maze. We’ve seen rumors, casting shakes, and enough "in development" tags to make your head spin. But things are finally looking real. If you’ve been tracking Austin Butler’s career post-Elvis, you know he doesn't just pick projects for the paycheck. He’s looking for the heavy hitters.
The Austin Butler Factor
Let’s be real for a second. Austin Butler is the reason this movie is actually getting made. He isn't just starring as Danny Ryan; he’s producing the thing. That’s a massive distinction. When an actor puts their own production shingle behind a project, it means they aren't just a face for the poster. They are in the trenches of the script meetings and the casting calls.
Butler is set to play Danny Ryan. If you haven't read the books, Danny is a fascinating mess. He's a reluctant Irish mobster. He starts as a guy just trying to get by on the docks of Providence, Rhode Island. But then—as it always does in these stories—everything goes sideways.
A brutal war breaks out between the Irish and Italian syndicates. Think of it like a modern-day Iliad. That's actually how Winslow pitched it—a retelling of Greek myths through the lens of 1980s mob wars. Butler has that specific kind of "tortured but dangerous" energy that Danny Ryan needs.
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Who Is Running the Show?
For a long time, the director's chair was empty. That’s usually where movies go to die. However, in mid-2025, Matt Ross officially signed on to direct.
You might know Ross from Captain Fantastic or maybe you recognize his face from Silicon Valley (he was Gavin Belson). He’s a director who cares about character depth, which is vital here. This isn't just a movie about guys shooting each other in back alleys. It’s about the disintegration of families.
The script is being handled by Justin Kuritzkes. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he wrote Challengers. He knows how to write tension. He knows how to write people who are obsessed with winning and losing.
- Studio: Sony 3000 Pictures
- Producers: David Heyman (of Harry Potter fame) and Shane Salerno
- Source Material: Don Winslow’s 2022 novel City on Fire
Why the Delay?
Movies take forever. Seriously.
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The rights were snapped up almost as soon as the book hit shelves in 2022. But Butler has been busy. Between Dune: Part Two, The Bikeriders, and Darren Aronofsky’s Caught Stealing, his schedule has been a nightmare.
There was also a bit of confusion in the marketplace. There was an Apple TV+ series also called City on Fire that came out in 2023. It was based on a totally different book by Garth Risk Hallberg. That show was set in New York and was more of a "indie sleaze" mystery. It got canceled after one season.
The City of Fire movie we’re talking about is the New England mob epic. Don't mix them up. One is about hipsters in the 2000s; the other is about Irish-Italian turf wars that would make Tony Soprano sweat.
What to Expect from the Story
The plot is basically a powder keg. It starts at a beach party in 1986. A woman—a "modern-day Helen of Troy"—comes between the two families.
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Danny Ryan is a soldier who doesn't want to be a general. But when his friends start dying and his family is threatened, he has to turn into something much darker. The movie is expected to be a "Hard R" rating. No watered-down PG-13 action here. We’re talking about the gritty, street-level realism that Winslow is famous for.
Sony is eyeing this as a potential trilogy. Winslow already finished the books: City on Fire, City of Dreams, and City in Ruins. If the first movie lands, we’re looking at a decade-long crime chronicle.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you want to be ready for the premiere, here is what you should actually do:
- Read the Books Now: Don't wait for the trailer. Winslow’s prose is incredibly cinematic. Reading the first book will give you a much better sense of why Butler fought so hard for this role.
- Watch Matt Ross’s Previous Work: Check out Captain Fantastic. It’ll show you how he handles complex family dynamics, which is the secret sauce of the Danny Ryan story.
- Monitor Production News for "Rhode Island": Most of the story takes place in Providence. Casting calls for locals and filming permits in the New England area are the first real signs that cameras are finally rolling.
The wait is annoying, sure. But honestly, I'd rather they take three years to get the script right than rush out a mediocre mob flick. With Kuritzkes writing and Butler producing, the pedigree is there. This could be the Heat of the 2020s.
Stay updated on local filming schedules in Providence and keep an eye on Sony’s 2026/2027 slate for the official release window.