John Fithian is getting back into the exhibition business, and he's bringing a small, bittersweet comedy with him. The former NATO chief will use "Honeyjoon," Lilian T. Mehrel's 80-minute drama-comedy about a grieving Persian-Kurdish mother and her American daughter, as the launch title for his new venture, with the film returning to theaters following its June 10, 2026, release. The picture stars Ayden Mayeri as June and Amira Casar as Lela, with José Condessa rounding out the principal cast as a local guide.
The choice is notably modest for a launch: "Honeyjoon" runs just 80 minutes and holds a 5.6 out of 10 rating on TMDb, hardly the profile of a typical exhibitor flagship. But Fithian's move reads less like a bid for a blockbuster weekend and more like a statement of intent - that his new enterprise will stake its identity on specialty titles rather than spectacle.
A Mother, a Daughter, and the Azores
"Honeyjoon" follows Lela, a Persian-Kurdish mother in mourning, and June, her American daughter, as they travel to the Azores with agendas that don't match. Their trip is a collision of perspectives rather than a vacation, and it's the kind of premise that puts two strong performers in close quarters and lets the scenery do the rest. Under the influence of a handsome local guide - Condessa's João - the pair's friction gradually gives way to something closer to healing.
Mehrel directs from a script that toggles between drama and comedy, a blend that suits an 80-minute runtime. The supporting cast includes António Maria as Antonio and Tiago Sarmento as Filipe, both concierges, alongside Tomás Furtado de Melo as Dad and Teresa Faria as Grandma.
Why This Film, Why Now
Launching a venture on a film that has already been in theaters since June is an unusual play, and it raises the question of what Fithian's team sees in "Honeyjoon" that a first-run release might not have captured. Repertory and event-style bookings have become a reliable lane for exhibitors looking to differentiate themselves, and a warm, compact, character-driven title with a clear emotional hook fits that model better than most studio fare.
There's also the matter of audience. A story centered on an immigrant mother and her American daughter, set against the Azores, has natural appeal for older arthouse crowds and diaspora communities alike - the kind of viewers who turn out for specialty releases when a theater gives them a reason to. If Fithian's venture is built around curated programming, "Honeyjoon" serves as a calling card: small, specific, and made for conversation rather than volume.
The film's English-language production and Hollywood pedigree mean it arrives without the subtitle barrier that can limit specialty titles, even as its Persian-Kurdish characters anchor its cultural specificity. That combination - accessible on the surface, particular underneath - is exactly the profile a new distributor or exhibition outfit might want stamped on its first release.
What Comes Next
For Mehrel, the renewed push offers a second life for a film that arrived quietly in June. For Mayeri and Casar, it's a chance for their two-hander to reach viewers who missed the initial run. And for Fithian, it's the first public test of a venture whose shape is still coming into focus.
Whether audiences follow him back to the multiplex for a grieving mother, a stubborn daughter, and a handsome guide in the Azores remains to be seen. But as opening statements go, "Honeyjoon" is a deliberate one - a bet that in 2026, the future of the theatrical experience might be found in a small room, an 80-minute story, and two women learning to talk to each other again.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
