Kevin Costner reflects on HIS upcoming surf thriller ‘Headhunters,’ filming on location in Bali and working with a dynamic young cast.
There is something about the ocean that has always called to me. Whether it’s the rugged coastline of the Pacific or the rolling swells of a distant shore, the water has a way of stripping everything back to the essentials. That connection is at the heart of my latest project, Headhunters, a film that takes us far from the familiar plains of the American West and drops us into the humid, electric atmosphere of Bali.
In Headhunters, I play Lazer, a washed-up American expat living in Indonesia. He’s a man carrying the weight of a mysterious past—the kind of history you try to drown in the surf but that always finds a way to float back to the surface. When Lazer finds himself leading a group of young, adventurous surfers to a remote island, what starts as a quest for the perfect wave quickly spirals into a fight for survival. This isn’t just a surf movie; it’s a high-stakes thriller that explores the darkness that can lurk just beneath a tropical paradise.
Working with director Steven Holleran has been an incredible experience. Steven has a visionary eye for the lens, and together we’ve co-written a story that we feel captures both the beauty and the visceral danger of the unknown. We’ve assembled a fantastic, high-energy cast to bring this journey to life, including Chloe East, Evan Mock, Daniel Zovatto, and Sam Corlett. Watching these talented young actors tackle the physical and emotional demands of the script has been one of the true highlights of production.
Filming on location in Indonesia presents its own set of challenges—the heat, the tides, and the sheer unpredictability of nature—but those are the elements that make a film feel real. There’s no substitute for the grit of actual sand and the power of the real ocean. As Lazer, I’ve had to tap into a different kind of energy, portraying a man who has lost his way but hasn’t lost his instincts.
I’ve always believed that the best stories are the ones that take you somewhere you’ve never been, and Headhunters is designed to do exactly that. It’s an exploration of adventure, survival, and the shadows we can’t outrun. I can’t wait for you all to see the world we’ve built when it hits theaters in 2026. Stay tuned for more updates from the set—we’re just getting started.