The Daily Wire is best known as the broadcasting fortress of right-wing political commentator Ben Shapiro, but its film division is rapidly expanding as more Hollywood actors cross the drawbridge.
Case in point: Academy Award nominees James Franco, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nick Nolte, Brad Dourif, and Kodi Smit-McPhee are all set to star in the conservative imprint’s upcoming movie, Confession. Additionally, the ensemble cast will feature Rob Lowe, Emile Hirsch, and Dean Norris. The newly released trailer introduces a Soviet-era thriller written by Shapiro and directed by Czech filmmaker Václav Marhoul. Set in Moscow during Joseph Stalin’s rule, the plot follows a former professor imprisoned on suspicions of conspiring with a dissident priest as he navigates the interrogation process.
This is the latest step in the company’s efforts to grow its filmmaking operation by signing on performers whose careers and public reputations have faced varying degrees of controversy.
Once an industry mainstay, Franco largely fell out of favor after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct in 2018. Three years later, he settled a lawsuit brought by his former acting students who accused him of sexual exploitation. After initially denying their claims, he admitted to having sexual relationships with his students.
Leigh, who previously expressed fierce opposition to George W. Bush and the religious right, has been an outspoken supporter of Israel in the aftermath of the October 7th attack by Hamas in 2023. Reflecting a position that broadly overlaps with Shapiro’s, she signed an open letter condemning The Zone of Interest director Jonathan Glazer for his Oscars speech criticizing Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory and its ongoing military campaign in Gaza.
Working with The Daily Wire carries political implications that extend far beyond any one film’s subject matter.
That tension became particularly visible when Danny Trejo was revealed as a cast member on another one of the company’s productions, Pawn Shop. The thriller follows an ICE officer seeking refuge after his partner is seriously injured during a confrontation, with its reported storyline having drawn comparisons to the fatal shooting of Renée Good in Minneapolis earlier this year. Its filming in Livingston, Montana, sparked protests from locals, and Shapiro later accused the city of politically motivated interference.
Trejo’s participation has drawn criticism from fans since he is a well-known supporter of immigrant communities. He subsequently clarified his position and told TMZ, “I am a proud Mexican who has always been and will always be a supporter of my community. I am also obviously pro immigrant. I am not pro ice.” Trejo’s son later took to social media and claimed his father had never heard of Shapiro before signing on and that the cast learned of the conservative pundit’s involvement only after filming was underway. He also said contractual obligations prevented his father from leaving the project or publicly criticizing it.
Prior to that, The Daily Wire’s film branch provided recourse for Jonathan Majors. Following his 2023 conviction for assault and harassment, the former Hollywood darling starred in Run Hide Fight: Infidels. Ripe with overtly Islamophobic topes, the 2026 action thriller is built around religious extremists seizing control of a college campus by infiltrating a pro-Palestinian demonstration. Unlike Trejo, Majors proudly confirmed that he read the script before accepting the role.
Confession will receive a limited theatrical release on November 11th and become available to stream on The Daily Wire that same day.