In this episode of the Arkansas Inc. Podcast, film producer Nick Moceri discusses the making of the movie Sovereign, producing a film in Arkansas, and more.

 

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TRANSCRIPT

This is Nick Moceri, producer of the film Sovereign, and you're listening to the Arkansas Inc. Podcast.

Welcome to the Arkansas Inc. Podcast, my name is Clark Cogbill. I serve as Director of Marketing and Communications for the Arkansas Department of Commerce. On this podcast, we have the privilege to talk with a wide variety of people about economic development topics and their experience working and living in Arkansas. We talk with Fortune 500 executives, entrepreneurs, government officials, and, of course, economic developers. Occasionally, we have the opportunity to talk with those in the film and television industry, and I get the chance to do that again today.

Films that are shot and produced here in Arkansas have a very positive impact on the state's economy. Some movies and series you may have seen that were shot right here in the natural state include:

●        Mud, starring Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon

●        HBO's True Detective Season 3 with Mahershala Ali

●        God's Not Dead 2 and 3

●        The Chariot with John Malkovich

●        What Happens Later with Meg Ryan and David Duchovny

●        Coming soon to theaters, Sovereign, starring Nick Offerman, Dennis Quaid, and Jacob Tremblay

Sovereign was produced by our guest today, Nick Moceri. Nick was also the producer of the films A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and Sitting in Bars with Cake. Nick is founder and producer of All Night Diner, a production company and consultancy that works in film, television, podcasts, and digital media. He has 20 years of experience in producing, developing, and distributing content across various platforms and genres with a focus on innovative storytelling. Nick holds a Master of Fine Arts in Producing from the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television and a Bachelor of Science degree in Film and Television from Boston University. He is passionate about creating and supporting projects that inspire, inform, and entertain people around the world.

Clark Cogbill:

Nick Moceri, welcome to the Arkansas Inc. Podcast.

Nick Moceri:

Well, thanks for having me. I'm glad to be here.

CC:

So, Nick, you live in Los Angeles, but I understand that today you're calling in from Bentonville, Arkansas.

NM:

Absolutely. I am here for the Bentonville Film Festival where we will be screening Sovereign tonight, which will be later when the listeners hear this. It's very exciting. I know my colleague Christopher Crane is on his way to attend that screening.

CC:

Oh, fantastic. Nick, just to start off, tell us a little bit about yourself and your background in the film industry.

NM:

So, I grew up outside Seattle in Washington State and started my career up there in marketing and advertising after college. I was doing large-scale live events and multimedia productions for Microsoft and Nintendo and kind of all the other Seattle Northwest cliches.

Yeah. But I had a deep and abiding love for film and the film business and decided that grad school might be a way to pivot back to that point. I was in my late 20s. My wife and I had been married. We'd already started our family. And so, grad school sort of felt like the right, I don't know, bubble in which to pursue this thing.

And so, I got into UCLA. We moved down there. My wife's from Pasadena, California. And so, we had support of the in-laws there with the grandbabies.

Sure. So, yeah. So, I did two years of grad school. And being a late 20s, early 30s grad student, I was there because I wanted to be there. I was there on my own dime. I was there to start this new career. And so, I think because of that, there was just a focus and a drive that allowed me to get my footing.

And, you know, it took a couple years before I got my first credit. But I got a call one day from one of the people in my cohort at UCLA and said, I'm producing a movie, first-time film from Ana Lily Amirpour, who we had gone to grad school with. And he said, it's an Iranian vampire Western that we're going to shoot totally in black and white and in Farsi. And I was like, okay, I don't know what that quite means. That's pretty niche.

Yeah. So, they sent me the script that read like the Persian Pulp Fiction. And I still wasn't sure. And then they went and shot a little five-minute proof of concept that showed the vision. I was like, oh, man, I'm in. And so then, you know, me and some other people helped jump on board, raise the financing, get the movie made, and then it premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and has gone on to be a cult classic.

And so I've been producing feature films now for just over 10 years and in that time have produced 10 films and a whole lot of other zigzagging, winding journeys along the way.

CC:

I bet that was exciting to see your film, that first film, screened at Sundance.

NM:

Oh, absolutely. I mean, you know, kind of the pinnacle of independent filmmaking. And oddly enough, vampires were in the zeitgeist that year. So we were there with two other vampire films: Jim Jarmusch's Only Lovers Left Alive, Taika Waititi's What We Do in the Shadows, and us. And yeah, it was just a thrill and an auspicious beginning to my career.

CC:

Yeah, that's really cool. Nick, were you always a fan of the movies growing up?

NM:

Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, I was a child of the 80s and 90s. And, you know, I grew up with kind of all the classic films that people did. And in high school, I discovered independent film and really loved that. But it was really that I, you know, more than I wanted to make movies, I saw that I was a natural connector and puzzle and problem solver, which is really what a producer does. And I was able to communicate across, you know, creatives and business and marketing and all of these things. And so really, like, I just love putting teams together, getting after a thing and accomplishing it. And, you know, the medium that I'm doing it in right now is film.

CC:

Yeah. You know, and you touched on it just then a little bit. But for those of us who are not in the movie industry, give us an expand on your description of what a producer is and what a film producer does.

NM:

Absolutely. I think producing and producer is one of the most misunderstood terms and positions in the business and in the world. And unfortunately, because of that, it's been devalued. You have a lot of people who will get the credit of producer or executive producer and really not have done the work. And so, you know, a producer in film is the sort of the highest degree. We call it a capital P producer. In television, it's actually the executive producer. Not to add more confusion, but, you know, so in film, an executive producer might be someone who helped find the financing or brought in a piece of talent or something. But the producers really, they're like the CEO of a startup corporation. And they will find the material, you know, in this case, a script, and they will develop that with the writer. And then you'll bring on a filmmaker. Or in this case, we have Sovereign, we had a writer-director. And then you find the financing and you build out the cast. And then when you make the movie, you are, you know, in pre-production, scouting locations and hiring your cast and crew. And then in production, you're on set every day putting out fires and helping, you know, sort of make sure that we're making our days and staying on budget and that the creative execution is good. And then in post-production, you're giving feedback on notes and edits and sound and color and visual effects. And then with the release, you're involved with the marketing and then ultimately the release of the film. And so it's really, you know, it's the inception to birth role on a film. And that's the reason why at the Academy Awards each year, best picture is given to the producer.

CC:

Yeah. What your description of the producer's role might stress some folks out. Just thinking about all that's on your plate. But you obviously, like for the right person, it drives you, it sounds like.

NM:

Yeah. You know, I think it's a role that is not for the faint of heart, but really it's a logistical and organizational and it's a problem solver role. So I think that what I like is just how dynamic it is that each day there's something different, there's a new challenge, but it's so collaborative. And so, you know, I'm not doing these things in a vacuum. I'm working with trusted partners and collaborators to solve these things. And really, you know, my goal is to, at the end of the day, create art, to create things that are beautiful, even if they're difficult stories. You know, things that can be lasting. And so then it makes the struggle, you know, worth the effort.

CC:

Yeah. Okay, Sovereign. Tell us, how did this film come together?

NM:

So I was sent the script for Sovereign by an agent that I'd done some business with before, and I read the script and also read... So it was written and directed by Christian Swegal. So I read Christian's script, and he had a treatment that included just background on the true life events and also a personal connection that he had to the subject matter, not the specific events. And I was like, wow, this is a really difficult, powerful, emotional script. Clearly it was written from a place of some personal understanding of this world, and I felt like this film needed a champion. And so that's what I told Christian, and he was meeting with other producers, and he chose to go with me, and then we developed the script together and really just became really close and great collaborators.

And then we sent the script out to cast, and we attached our lead actors: Nick Offerman, Dennis Quaid, Jacob Tremblay.

And then from there we were able to take it to financiers to start to build out the financing package, and then eventually we met our partners in Northwest Arkansas, Rock Hill, who were our production services partners and helped us with crew and locations and office space and stage space and all kinds of great stuff. And then we flew out here in January of 2024, and it was, I think, negative eight degrees when we landed, and then we filmed in February and March, and it was beautiful and sunny and hot by the time that we wrapped. And then we finished the film at the end of 2024. We premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 8th of 2025, and then the movie will be out in limited release and on rental July 11th.

CC:

Well, there's a lot involved before anything starts getting filmed, obviously. You mentioned some of the cast. It's a very impressive cast in this film: Nick Offerman, Dennis Quaid, Jacob Tremblay as the leads in addition to Nancy Travis, Martha Plimpton, and Thomas Mann. How did you attract this level of talent to the film?

NM:

Well, I mean, we were so fortunate. I mean, I really feel like it's a small independent film and felt like we're sort of punching above our weight class. And it's all credit to the script. I think that Christian was a first-time filmmaker, which can create added challenges, but he had written just such a beautiful piece of material that I think the cast saw that this could be something special, and he shared a really clear vision for how he wanted to do it. And then I think by partnering with me, I've had enough films and credits and things that showed that I had a certain level of expertise and taste, so I think it gave them a sense of trust.

And then I think for these actors, they are all busy working on bigger projects and television series, and Nick Offerman was just in the last Mission Impossible movie. So for them, I think it was scratching a different itch. How do we do something that's different than what we normally do, maybe something more lived in, more personal, a smaller scale? And then once it was kind of—they all became magnets for each other. So as we added one piece of casting, more wanted to join because of that addition. And by the end, we just assembled a dream team.

CC:

What is a very strong cast. I'll tell you, like a lot of families, often in the evenings, we'll sit down with my wife and my daughter, and we'll say, what do we want to watch tonight? And thanks to my colleague, Christopher Crane, who's the Arkansas Film Commissioner, I'd gotten a link to watch Sovereign, and I said, well, I've got an idea. And I said, let's watch this film. We got through nearly half of it, and I'm really looking forward to watching the rest of it over the weekend. But many people know Nick Offerman from Parks and Recreation and other work. This is a much different role for Mr. Offerman. Was he intrigued by the opportunity to just do something very different than most people knew him from?

NM:

Yeah, and so Nick, like you said, is obviously known for Parks and Rec and he'd done some dramatic roles on television. He was on this series called Devs and then we just, we love the idea of taking someone who was known for something else and putting them in this role.

And I think that having someone, because really the theme of this film is empathy. It's not about justifying or condoning any of the terrible acts that these characters commit, but it was, how do we empathize? And when you have someone who's so beloved like Nick is, it invites the audience in and disarms them in an interesting way.

And when we cast Nick, we hadn't seen him yet in The Last of Us for which he won the Emmy and Indie Spirit Award. And that role, I think, gave people an idea of Nick's dramatic chops and this just takes it to a whole other level. And I think people are going to be really surprised, but also I think just blown away.

CC:

I think so too. What I've seen so far, I mean, wonderful acting. This is a serious film. It's definitely dramatic. I did notice, this is just my personal observation, one similarity between Mr. Offerman's character in Sovereign, Jerry Kane, and his Parks and Rec character, Ron Swanson. And that is, they're both sort of anti-establishment.

Do you think Jerry Kane and Ron Swanson would hit it off?

NM:

That's a good question. You know, I think that Jerry Kane was on such his own journey that I think a lot of these sovereign citizens tend to be lone wolves. So, you know, maybe it would have been like respects like, but not sure that would have been a deep friendship.

CC:

Yeah. I think you mentioned it. This movie is based on some true events that happened in Arkansas. And as we know, you know, sometimes other locations are substituted for the real ones when films are made. Can you talk, Nick, about what led you to film this movie in Arkansas?

NM:

Yeah. So the film is inspired by the true events of the 2010 West Memphis police shooting where two law enforcement officers were killed during a routine traffic stop by Joe and Jerry Kane. And the Kanes were later hunted down and killed by law enforcement.

And, you know, when you're dealing with those kind of events, you want to be as authentic and respectful as possible. And so we felt like Arkansas was just a natural choice. And then once we got to know the folks at Rock Hill and then also got to meet Christopher Crane, it was just clear that there was the right, you know, infrastructure and crew base and support here with, you know, the tax incentives and all that to make it possible to shoot it here.

And then in making the film, you know, most days our sort of set security were county sheriffs or police officers off duty. And we got to talk with them and they were all certainly aware of the real events and were, you know, grateful or interested in the fact that we were making it. And I think they saw that we approached it with a lot of respect.

We changed, you know, the names and all kinds of details about the supporting characters. But we felt like it was important to keep Joe and Jerry Kane's names real because they are the ones who perpetrated this crime, you know, and they're deceased. And we felt like that was kind of the most respectful way to honor what had happened.

And, you know, it's a tricky balance. When the film was first announced, we saw things online that, oh, here comes Hollywood coming to Arkansas to, you know, tell some anti-police story or pro-sovereign. And it was like, no, no, no, no, no. And we actually reached out to people directly and, you know, law enforcement officers who were involved in the real shootings and just let them know that, no, no, no, like, you know, we're here to tell human story. There's not going to be any, you know, pro or anti really anything, you know. We're just going to tell the

And I think any reasonable person who watches this knows, you know, whose side's right and whose side's wrong? And just to be very clear, the Kanes absolutely were in the wrong.

CC:

Before this movie, Nick, was Arkansas on your radar screen in terms of a location, a potential location for film production?

NM:

Well, interestingly enough, I had gotten to know the folks at Rock Hill through an agent at the Gersh Agency in Los Angeles as a group that was kind of leading the way with film in Arkansas. And so we had another project that was this quirky comedy that never got made. And so we reached out to them and they sort of gave us an overview of what was happening in Arkansas. And so we had an inkling that things were happening here, but really weren't just not aware of sort of the depth and level of expertise that was here until we got here.

CC:

I know the film was shot in Northwest Arkansas. Can you talk about some of the locations?

NM:

So we shot primarily in Fayetteville and in Springdale and in Lincoln, a couple more rural surrounding areas. And then we did one day in Hot Springs. And yes, I mean, we shot in neighborhoods and at the county courthouse and the county sheriff's building and in some of the public schools and municipal buildings and all kinds of places and grocery stores and parking lots and motels. And really everyone was just so accommodating. And I think probably one of my favorite parts about getting to film up here was just the locations and also just the beauty. I mean, coming from the West Coast, our sky does not look like y'all's sky. And there's just something so dramatic and beautiful about it that I feel proud that we were able to capture it.

CC:

That's great to hear. And what's some of the feedback you got from some of the actors maybe who had never been to Arkansas? I don't know if Dennis Quaid and Nick Offerman had ever been here, but what did you hear from them?

NM:

Well, Dennis, I know Dennis had been here, I think traveling through because he lives in Nashville part-time. Nick had a relationship with the Crystal Bridges Museum up in Bentonville. Yeah. I think through some of his book touring because he's written a number of books that are all excellent, by the way. So if listeners want to check them out, they're very fun. And so he'd been through but really hadn't spent time. And I think that people were just blown away at just what a unique and beautiful and developing area that it is. So, you know, we had a lot of fun eating good barbecue and, you know, going to great shops and restaurants and exploring hiking trails and Crystal Bridges Museum and the Ozarks and lakes. And so, yeah, I think everyone was just really pleasantly surprised. You know, I don't know that people had any sort of clear expectation or thought of what it was going to be like, but it was like, all right, it's a new place and everyone really embraced it.

CC:

That's great to hear. You know, hearing you talk about the role of a producer, Nick, you know, you need resources. You got to have resources locally, you know, a workforce, support from the community. Were you able to find the resources you needed as you produced this film in Arkansas?

NM:

By and large, yes. I mean, I think, first of all, having a strong film incentive allows independent films to get made. It's just really important. And I think that you do see the economic benefit, the amount of money that we pour into the community and into infrastructure and things like that. You know, look, it's for the legislators to weigh in the pros and cons of all of it. But, you know, as a producer, it's certainly meaningful. And it allowed us to film here. If that didn't exist, we wouldn't have been able to just for economic reasons. And then, you know, in terms of local cast and crew, you know, it's a developing scene. So there are some departments that are stronger than others. But, you know, we were really pleased and just impressed with what we found. And it's a really great community here. And we've stayed in touch with a number of the crew members. And it's just so cool to see how much they are supporting each other and work on each other's films and keep in touch. And it's a very, very impressive community and unlike one that I've seen in a lot of states.

CC:

Well, that's great to hear. Nick, I know you premiered Sovereign recently at the Tribeca Film Festival. Congratulations on that. What has the response been like to the film?

NM:

You know, you never know if you are just breathing your own exhaust when you go into these kind of screenings. And, you know, we felt like we'd made something powerful and of high quality. And then when we got there, we had a 500 seat completely full theater. People were really moved. And then as we were leaving, we heard from our publicist that the first review was in from The Hollywood Reporter, which is a premier trade magazine, and it was glowing. And so, you know, the reviews that have continued to come in have been overall really positive. I mean, reviews are opinions, right? So there's going to be good ones and bad ones. But across the board, it's clear that our message is getting across and people are receiving the film as we intended. And really, that's the best you can hope for.

CC:

That's great. And as you mentioned, the film will be screened in Bentonville this weekend. What is it like, Nick, to sit in the audience when your film is being screened? I gotta think you're watching people out of the, you know, as you watch the film. I mean, what is it like? What's the experience like for you?

NM:

Yeah, you nailed it. I mean, you know, this movie more than any other film in my career, I've watched so, so many times just through, you know, post-production and just all of the different iterations of it. And at this point in the process, you're right, I'm really watching the audience. I'm watching to see when they flinch, do they cry? There's a couple moments of some levity. Do they laugh? Are they surprised? And yeah, so I mean, it's very gratifying to get to see that. And yeah, so that's really, you know, that's what the experience is like watching it at this point.

CC:

That must be really cool to see those reactions from people, maybe some expected, maybe some unexpected, but must be a really gratifying experience.

NM:

It is, yeah, because you work so hard on these things and they take years and years to put together. And then, you know, it just tells you that like, all right, we did what we set out to do, mission accomplished. And, you know, at the end of the day, yes, it's a business and we hope the economics work and the, you know, the film's a success financially, but we know based on the reactions that it's a success artistically and really that's our North Star and the most important thing.

CC:

So now you're gearing up for a wider release, right? What are you hoping that audiences get from the film?

NM:

In terms of what we hope to leave audiences with, it's empathy, right? It's an understanding of, you know, what happens when marginalized people are pushed to extremes? What happens when mental health issues go unchecked? It's a story of two fathers and two sons. You know, what are the messages that we impart to young men and are there perhaps, you know, different responses to these kinds of incidents? And, you know, the women of this film are so important too. I think they're the ones who are showing a way forward, a hope, a different approach. And by and large, the men ignore them and it's to their detriment. And so, you know, it's an apolitical film. It's not taking sides. You know, I think it's clear in, you know, kind of the right wrong of things, but in terms of, you know, just sort of what it means for larger society, it's nuanced. And I think that given radicalization and polarization in this country, I think no matter which, you know, sort of way you might lean, I think that we all agree that, you know, it would be better that if we could get along with our neighbors and we had more conversations about difficult topics and can have them in a respectful way. So that's the hope.

CC:

Absolutely. So Nick, when you look back and you think about making this movie, what will stand out about your experiencing making Sovereign and what will you remember about making the film in Arkansas?

NM:

Well, I mean, this film was probably one of the most challenging to make in my career. And it's also the one that I'm most proud of. And so for sure, it'll stay with me in that respect. I mean, we had, you know, lightning strikes and viral outbreaks and all kinds of crazy stuff that are just part of the sort of thrills and challenges of movie making. But we also had a crew that dug deep, stuck together, fought hard to accomplish this thing. And I think that's, in terms of the Arkansas of it all, I mean, A, we got to showcase a beautiful state, but I'm proud of the team that we put together and what we accomplished. And again, you can't ask for anything better.

CC:

That's wonderful, and we certainly hope you'll consider making another film in Arkansas in the future.

NM:

Oh, I would love to. I think that they're now seeing it. Again, this is the first time that I've been into the state in the summertime, and I'm like, oh, it's very green. There's a whole other kind of landscaping thing. And so, yeah, I mean, the filmmaker of Sovereign, Christian Swegal, and I are actively thinking about is there something else we could bring back here? So we would love to.

CC:

I have to say, I remember earlier you said when you first landed in Arkansas, I think you said it was minus eight. That is not normal.

NM:

Well, that's what I heard. I was so foolish. I didn't understand that level of cold. And I'd gone to undergraduate at university in Boston, but I got off the airplane. I had my big puffer jacket on. I had my wool hat and were carrying our suitcases, rolling them out to the rental car. And I wasn't wearing gloves. And by the time I made the 10-minute walk to the car, I had, like, minor frostbite on my hands. I was like, what have I walked into? So, yeah, it was wild.

And then actually while we were in pre-production in January, I was going to bed one night, and there was, like, a 5.0 earthquake that just shook everything. And I was like, this is the biggest earthquake I've felt outside of California. So, you know, it was some wild, you know, kind of some biblical weather at times. But, you know, you're rewarded with the beauty. So, you know, you take the good and the bad.

CC:

Yeah, thankfully earthquakes in Arkansas are about as rare as minus eight degrees.

NM:

They rolled out the red carpet for me. Arkansas was showing me what it's got.

CC:

So, Nick, can you give us a sense of when this film will be available in some theaters around the U.S.? And then where might we be able to watch it on streaming?

NM:

Yeah, so July 11th is when the film is going to come out in limited theatrical. You know, truthfully, it's probably going to be mostly L.A., New York theaters. But on that same day, people will be able to rent it on iTunes, Amazon, you know, any digital platform where you can rent movies. And then in the coming months, we're in conversations with different streaming services, and it'll be available for streaming. You know, my guess would be before the end of the year.

CC:

Fantastic. We certainly look forward to it.

NM:

So, yeah, I also just want to say just how grateful we were for the support of Christopher Crane and, you know, the Film Commission, Rock Hill, and then our amazing local crew and cast. They really made this movie possible, and it's an honor to get to bring it back and screen it at Bentonville for the hometown crowd. And so just so, so grateful to everyone involved in this film.

CC:

All right. A little lightning round for you, Nick. What would you say your favorite place to eat in Arkansas was?

NM:

Wright's Barbecue. I ate there so many times, and I just ate at the one in Bentonville. And their, man, their ribs and brisket and collards, just pretty exceptional.

CC:

I have to agree. I will say if you go to Wright's for lunch and it's a work day, the afternoon can be a bit rough.

NM:

Well, that was my Tuesday this week. I had a very slow afternoon.

CC:

Yeah. All right. Favorite place to visit in Arkansas, if you've established one?

NM:

I'm going to say Crystal Bridges. I think just the grounds and the trails, the museum itself, everything are just so special and world class. And I just love the sort of blend of nature and architecture and art. So, yeah, I'd come back every time I come here. It is a special place to visit.

CC:

Anything on your radar screen, like on your next visit? Well, you're in Arkansas now. What's on your radar screen about where to go next in Arkansas that you didn't get a chance to visit?

NM:

Yeah, for sure. I mean, I would love to visit Eureka Springs. I've heard that that's a really fun, unique town. And so that would be probably the next one on my list for sure.

CC:

It is for sure. It's a lovely town worth visiting for sure.

Our guest today on the Arkansas Inc. podcast has been Nick Moceri. Nick is producer of the new film Sovereign, which is coming to theaters in limited release on July 11. Of the new film Sovereign, which is coming to theaters in limited release on July 11th. Nick, thanks so much for joining us today and telling us all about your new film Sovereign.

NM:

Thank you, it's a real pleasure.

You've been listening to the Arkansas Inc. podcast. I'm Clark Cogbill, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Arkansas Department of Commerce. You can subscribe to the Arkansas Inc. podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast apps.

For more information about the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and to sign up for the AEDC monthly newsletter, visit arkansasedc.com. And connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and YouTube. Thanks so much for listening.