ComingSoon can reveal that John Early’s directorial debut, Maddie’s Secret, is Alamo Drafthouse’s next Drafthouse Recommends selection. The theater chain will also bring back four classic movies to theaters that were handpicked by Early.
Tickets for the film are officially on sale now on Drafthouse’s website. A special showing with a livestream Q&A featuring Early will take place on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. These will offer an exclusive menu celebrating Maddie’s favorite vegetarian foods, including “a Hidden Pineapple Veggie Sandwich, the GourMaybe Eggplant Pizza, or the Going Viral and Ride Or Die cocktails.” The movie opens in theaters on June 16, 2026.
Maddie’s Secret follows the story of a food influencer who secretly struggles with bulimia. Alongside Early, who leads the film as Maddie, the movie also stars comedy mainstays Kate Berlant, Eric Rahill, Kristen Johnston, Claudia O’Doherty, Conner O’Malley, Vanessa Bayer, Chris Bauer, Nate Varrone, Pat Regan, Frankie Quiñones, and Merrick McCartha.
Maddie’s Secret joins a long list of movies handpicked by the Alamo programming team for its Drafthouse Recommends honor, which began back in 2013. “Maddie’s Secret is an Olympic feat of walking the tonal tightrope. It’s unabashedly sincere while also being incredibly funny,” says Sarah Pitre, Head Film Buyer for Alamo Drafthouse. “You might not believe it before seeing it, but Maddie’s Secret, as delightfully campy as it is, will make you feel deeply, and that’s truly the film’s secret.”
Alamo Drafthouse programming special Guest Selects movies picked by John Early
In honor of the movie being chosen for Drafthouse’s next Recommends selection, the company also partnered with Early to showcase four Guest Selects films, which Early handpicked as movies that inspired him as a filmmaker and that pair well with his upcoming film. Early’s Guest Selects list includes:
- Female Trouble (1974)
- Imitation of Life (1959)
- Vengeance is Mine (1984)
- The Brady Bunch Movie (1995)
Alamo will be programming all four movies at select locations nationwide this summer. Check out a video of Early breaking down the movies below:
