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Sydney Sweeney and Halsey's Americana movie debuted at SXSW in 2023, but we don't have to wait much longer to see the film on the big screen. Thanks to Lionsgate, the movie is coming to theaters this year — and Collider just gave us an emotional (and bloody) first look at the movie.
Here's everything you need to know about Americana, coming to theaters August 22, 2025 and starring Sydney Sweeney, Halsey, and Paul Walter Hauser.
What has Sydney Sweeney said about the movie?
Sydney Sweeney just opened up about her Americana character, Penny Jo, confirming that Dolly Parton "is definitely her biggest aspirational role model."
"I really wanted to make sure that we had the aspirations of being Dolly, but then, she doesn't have the resources," she tells Entertainment Weekly. "Penny Jo dreams of being able to have Dolly's outlook on life because her world feels so gray, dark, and trapped. [Dolly has] this beautiful big personality and energy that makes everything have color again, and that's what she wants."
And when an opportunity to get out of town presents itself, Penny Jo might have the chance "to be able to go and chase her dreams. And she's past the point of waiting for it to happen."
Halsey's character Mandy is also carrying some heavy weight, a specifically "a pretty profound secret that is eating her alive a little bit."
"She aspires to be these bad—ss women who don't really take sh—t from anyone around them," she continues. "Women who carved out their own path and have a voice and something to say. Mandy's still finding her way to becoming those women that she admires."
What is the movie Americana about?
Lionsgate, courtesy of Collider
According to Lionsgate's official synopsis, "a rare artifact falls onto the black market in a small South Dakota town" in the Americana movie, and before long, "the lives of local outsiders and outcasts violently intertwine."
And fans and critics who saw the movie at the 2023 SXSW loved it. "The more AMERICANA sits with me, the more I love it," one X user said at the time. "Halsey’s screen presence is magnetic and the chemistry between Sydney Sweeney and Paul Walter Hauser is so sweet. A neo-western that puts the eccentric characters of the modern wild west in the sun-soaked spotlight."
The Collider first look features an image of popstar Halsey, dressed in a mint green collared top, with blood splattered across their face, looking out a shattered window.
Where can I watch Americana?
Lionsgate, courtesy of Collider
The Americana release date is sooner than you realize! Americana is coming to theaters August 22, 2025.
Who's in the Americana cast?
Lionsgate, courtesy of Collider
The Americana movie cast includes:
- Sydney Sweeney as Penny Jo Poplin
- Halsey as Mandy Starr
- Paul Walter Hauser as Lefty Ledbetter
- Simon Rex as Roy Lee Dean
- Eric Dane as Dillon MacIntosh
- Zahn McClarnon as Ghost Eye
- Gavin Maddox Bergman as Cal Starr
Why is Americana rated R?
Ursula Coyote/Lionsgate
Americana is a crime thriller, and it's rated R for violence, language throughout, and some sexual references.
Where can I stream the movie Americana?
Sydney Sweeney's Americana isn't available to stream yet, but stay tuned for the official streaming distribution! (You can also stream the 2016 movie Americana on Tubi).
Stay tuned for the latest updates on Sydney Sweeney and Halsey's Americana movie! Check out The First Look At Sydney Sweeney As "Incredible" Christy Martin while you wait.
