Everything We Know About Sovereign, The Nick Offerman And Dennis Quaid Thriller

The sovereign citizen movement in the United States is one of the more ridiculous conspiracy-theory-driven notions to come down the pike during this (thus far) very absurd century. Adherents claim that while they were born in the U.S., they are subject only to their hilariously selective reading of common law. This, of course, exempts them from such civic necessities as paying taxes and registering their cars. How does this work out for them? They get arrested and go to jail, where they fulminate to anyone who will listen via ludicrously overwrought manifestos.

Most sovereign citizens are relatively harmless, but they do tend to be gun fanatics, and, on occasion, they take up arms against people charged with enforcing the laws they wrongly believe do not apply to them. One such incident went down on May 10, 2010. When Jerry Kane Jr. and his 16-year-old son Joe were pulled over by West Memphis, Arkansas police officers for driving a car with an illegitimate Ohio license plate, the duo initiated a fracas with the cops. The situation turned deadly when Joe opened fire with an AK-47 variant. Officers Bill Evans and Brandon Paudert were killed in the ensuing shootout.

The Kanes fled to a Walmart parking lot, where they engaged in another shootout with the police. This time, they weren't so fortunate. They were shot dead thanks in large part to the heroics of Wildlife Officer Michael K. Neal. It was a tragic waste of life, one that doesn't necessarily jump out as movie-worthy. But filmmaker Christian Swegal ("Proud Mary") believes he's got a compelling take, and he's assembled a heck of a cast to bring it to fruition.

According to Deadline, Christian Swegal's "Sovereign" will star Nick Offerman and Jacob Tremblay as characters based on the Kanes, while Dennis Quaid will play the chief of police thrust into a standoff with the heavily-armed pair. Briarcliff Entertainment will distribute the film in North America.

As for how Swegal will depict this spasm of violence, here's what he told Deadline:

"When I first heard about this crime, I was immediately hooked. Radicalization is a familiar concept, but at a time when our democracy is strained to the breaking point, and conspiracy-driven domestic terrorism is emerging as a real threat, the topic is more relevant than ever."

It is important on some level to humanize sovereign citizens so that we can understand what drives people to such extreme ideologies. To this end, the casting of Offerman, who's played his share of gun-toting eccentrics, is absolute perfection. He could make a tasty meal of this material, and that makes "Sovereign" a must-see before Swegal's shot a single scene.

The film will commence principal photography later this year, and will likely be ready for the fall film festivals in 2024.