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Why Matthew McConaughey Is Getting an Alamo Drafthouse Named After Him

The Mueller theater will honor the Oscar-winning actor with a dedication, film screening and live performance

(L-R) Matthew McConaughey, Darren Aronofsky and Austin Butler and attend the "Caught Stealing" Austin, TX Special Screening at Alamo Drafthouse on August 13, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema will rename its Mueller location the Matthew McConaughey Cinema in honor of the Oscar-winning actor and longtime Austin resident. The new name will be made official Monday, Aug. 10, when the theater unveils a commemorative plaque during a dedication event followed by an early screening of McConaughey’s new film, “The Rivals of Amziah King.”

McConaughey will introduce the film and participate in a post-screening Q&A with director Andrew Patterson and lead actress Angelina LookingGlass. Musicians featured in the cast, including The Last Bison, will then perform songs from the movie. The event will also include a toast featuring cocktails made with Pantalones Organic Tequila, the brand McConaughey co-founded with his wife, Camila Alves.

“More than just what’s on the screen, movies have always been about who you watch them with and the memories you take home,” McConaughey said in a recent statement. “Alamo Drafthouse has championed that kind of moviegoing from the very beginning, and to have a theater dedicated in my name in the city that’s shaped so much of who I am means a great deal to me.”

McConaughey joins a group of filmmakers and performers honored at Alamo Drafthouse locations, including Christopher Nolan, Pam Grier, Spike Lee, John Hughes and Ivan Reitman. Bong Joon Ho became the first person to receive the distinction in 2019 following the U.S. premiere of “Parasite” at Fantastic Fest.

“Matthew’s work has shaped the way that audiences connect with movies,” Alamo Drafthouse CEO Michael Kustermann said. “And his love for this city and for Texas has made him part of its creative fabric.”

Still from the film "The Rivals of Amziah King," starring Matthew McConaughey and Angelina LookingGlass. The film premiered at SXSW 2025.
Still from the film “The Rivals of Amziah King,” starring Matthew McConaughey and Angelina LookingGlass. (Photo courtesy of SXSW)

Special screenings

“The Rivals of Amziah King” stars McConaughey as an Oklahoma beekeeper and musician whose estranged foster daughter returns home. The two attempt to rebuild their relationship and create a family business as competitors threaten his honey-making operation. The film also stars LookingGlass, Cole Sprouse, Scott Shepherd, Rob Morgan, Tony Revolori, Jake Horowitz and Kurt Russell. It opens in theaters Aug. 14.

Participating Alamo Drafthouse locations will host one-night-only cocktail party screenings of the film Sunday, Aug. 16. The Mueller theater will be among the participating locations. Guests will receive a honey-based tequila cocktail, cocktail kit and recipe card. Tickets are available through Alamo Drafthouse.

A Uvalde native and University of Texas graduate, McConaughey began his rise to fame with his role in Richard Linklater’s Austin-set film “Dazed and Confused.” He later won an Academy Award for “Dallas Buyers Club” and has appeared in projects including “Interstellar” and HBO’s “True Detective.”

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