EXCLUSIVE: Canadian filmmakers Kyle Rideout and Josh Epstein have set their next feature, Firesky, under their Motion 58 Productions banner, with Nesta Cooper (Dope Thief), Karin Konoval (War for the Planet of the Apes), and Michael Eklund (Wynonna Earp) signed on to star.
The film was produced and written by Kyle Rideout and Josh Epstein. Rideout will direct.
Described as a “dark satire,” Firesky follows the inept employees of a company with secretly vile intentions. The project was filmed in and around Vancouver and is currently in post-production.
“Working with Nesta and Karin on Firesky was like watching a couple of firecrackers go off in a library,” Rideout said in a statement. “Nesta’s so alive, it’s like she’s smuggling sunlight in her pockets, bouncing through every scene with this contagious spark. And Karin—oh boy, her foul-mouthed Bubs is a powerhouse.”
Epstein added: “Michael Eklund was pivotal in the success of our first feature, Eadweard, so reuniting with him feels full circle. He’s one of Canada’s most mysterious chameleon-like actors.”
Firesky is the latest collaboration between Rideout and Epstein, following their work as co-writers on the hockey drama Youngblood, directed by Hubert Davis and starring Blair Underwood and Ashton James, which premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.
Casting for Firesky was led by Kris Woz and Kara Eide, the duo behind The Smashing Machine.
