The Hit Man Star Plays Beckett Redfellow, a Disinherited Heir Plotting to Eliminate Seven Relatives for His Fortune – Directed by Emily the Criminal’s John Patton Ford, It Promises Cinematic Chaos!

 If you thought you were getting a break from Glen Powell’s magnetic screen presence, think again: the trailer for A24’s upcoming dark comedy-thriller How to Make a Killing has dropped, announcing Powell’s explosive return to theaters on February 20, 2026. The film, directed by John Patton Ford (Emily the Criminal) and produced by A24’s signature brand of off-kilter genius, reunites Powell with the studio behind The Menu and Bodies Bodies Bodies. What unfolds is a wildly different turn for the Twisters heartthrob: Powell stars as Beckett Redfellow, a charming but ruthless disinherited heir who hatches a murderous scheme to reclaim his family’s fortune through “deliciously imaginative accidents.” Fans are already buzzing about the cinematic chaos – “This looks like Glen Powell gone full psycho, and I’m here for it,” one tweeted – as the teaser promises a blend of black humor, high-stakes scheming, and Powell’s trademark charisma dialed to eleven.

The movie revolves around Powell as Beckett Redfellow, whose mother – an heiress to the sprawling Redfellow estate – was disowned by the family when he was born out of wedlock. Raised in relative obscurity, Beckett idolizes his late mother’s tales of grandeur, vowing to restore her legacy no matter the cost. The full synopsis reads: “When she passes away, impoverished and alone, Beckett decides to make good on her belief that he is destined for greatness, no matter how evil he might need to be to achieve it. Ruthlessly determined to get back what Mary always said was stolen from him, Beckett hatches a murderous scheme to eliminate the seven Redfellow relatives who stand between him and his inheritance. Can money buy happiness? As the heirs fall one by one, in a series of deliciously imaginative accidents, Beckett is pretty sure it can. But he must also navigate his relationship with his loving girlfriend, Ruth, for whom money means nothing, and the increasing attentions of Julia, a flirtatious old flame from the past, for whom it most definitely does.”

Ford, whose 2022 debut Emily the Criminal earned Aubrey Plaza an Independent Spirit nod for her role as a desperate debtor turned fraudster, brings his knack for taut, morally ambiguous thrillers to How to Make a Killing. “Beckett’s not a villain – he’s a dreamer with a body count,” Ford told Deadline at the American Film Institute Fest. “Glen captures that delicious tension between charm and menace.” Powell, 37, fresh from Hit Man‘s dual-role triumph and Twisters‘ box-office storm, leans into Beckett’s duality: boyish grin masking a calculating killer, his Texas drawl dripping with faux innocence as he orchestrates “accidents” like a poisoned yacht sail and a sabotaged hot air balloon. “Beckett’s journey is about reclaiming what’s ‘his’ – at any price,” Powell said. “It’s fun to play someone so unapologetically ambitious.”

The supporting cast adds layers of temptation and turmoil: Meghann Fahy (The White Lotus) as the grounded girlfriend Ruth, who senses Beckett’s darkening path; Alison Brie (GLOW) as the seductive Julia, an old flame dangling corporate secrets; and a ensemble of eccentric Redfellow relatives including Kyle MacLachlan as the pompous patriarch and Uzo Aduba as a scheming cousin. Filmed in Austin and the Texas Hill Country, the visuals – lensed by Ford’s Emily collaborator, Steeven Petito – contrast sun-drenched estates with shadowy schemes, the score by Hit Man‘s Graham Reynolds pulsing with ironic whimsy.

Early screenings have critics raving. The Hollywood Reporter called it “a wickedly entertaining black comedy that skewers inheritance tropes with gleeful precision.” Variety praised Powell’s “chameleon turn – charming one minute, chilling the next.” A24, known for elevating indies like Everything Everywhere All at Once, positions How to Make a Killing as its 2026 tentpole, with a $25 million budget and festival premieres at Sundance and SXSW.

Powell, riding high after Hit Man‘s 2024 acclaim, sees it as a pivot: “Beckett’s ambition is universal – who hasn’t dreamed of ‘fixing’ their past?” Ford echoes: “It’s chaos with heart – the accidents are as inventive as they are insane.” As February 20 approaches, one thing’s certain: Glen Powell’s killing it – and this time, it’s literal.