**EXCLUSIVE: Justin Steele and Micah Molinari Launch Drama Free Films, a New Indie Production Company**
Up-and-coming producers Justin Steele and Micah Molinari have joined forces to launch Drama Free Films, a Los Angeles-based indie production company backed by a private financing group led by executive producer Natalie Kline. The company targets genre pictures in the under-$10 million market, with a strong emphasis on keeping its productions within the U.S.
The leadership team of Drama Free Films also includes Amanda Konis, who serves as CFO.
“We at Drama Free are proud to be collaborating to develop high-quality, budget-friendly films with broad audience appeal,” said Steele. “Our goal has always been to establish the kind of environment where filmmakers are meaningfully supported from the ground up. We look forward to building a venture that is bold, adaptable, and deeply collaborative, while continuing to champion distinctive, unexpected stories.”
**Drama Free Films’ Upcoming Slate**
Drama Free Films opens with three features slated for release in 2026.
– **Miami Nights:** The company’s flagship release is an action thriller centered on two war heroes who are discharged without honor after saving a famed American journalist overseas. As they struggle to readjust to civilian life, they cross paths with local criminals in a deadly scheme to steal a priceless diamond. Directed by Justin Steele, the film stars Terrence Howard, Jeremy Piven, Jeremy Sumpter, Sydelle Noel, Manu Bennett, and Thomas Jane.
– **The Leader:** Currently in post-production, this historical crime thriller draws inspiration from the infamous Heaven’s Gate cult, known for the largest mass suicide on American soil. Written and directed by Michael J. Gallagher (Funny Story), the film stars Vera Farmiga and Tim Blake Nelson as the cult leaders, alongside Jim Parsons and Simon Rex.
– **Cipher:** Also in post-production, this thriller is written and directed by Tony Giglio (Doom: Annihilation). The story centers on a renowned author who, after losing his wife and becoming a paraplegic, comes into possession of a supernatural typewriter that fulfills his deepest desires. Terrence Howard leads the cast once again, co-starring Paula Patton, Britt Robertson, and Joel David Moore.
John Lewis, who currently holds a first-look deal with Platinum Dunes, has partnered with Drama Free Films on this exciting three-picture slate.
https://deadline.com/2025/10/justin-steele-micah-molinari-launch-drama-free-films-1236567736/