The year has barely found its footing, and already the slate of upcoming films and series is crowded with promise. Among them is a new indie project from award-winning writer-director John J. Budion, who has tapped Thora Birch and Jack Kesy to lead a story rooted in regret, sacrifice, and a deeply personal emotional reckoning.

Inspired by someone close to him, the drama has quietly begun to gather attention, and with a handful of production details now coming to light, it appears ready to step out of the shadows.

After making his directorial debut with Rockaway, John J. Budion is returning with a deeply personal and promising project titled Civilian. The series will star Thora Birch (The Chronology of Water) and Jack Kesy (Hellboy: The Crooked Man), as per Deadline. Cory Thompson of Rewind Artists is set to produce alongside Juan Pablo Reinoso of Lookbook Entertainment and Anthony Argento of Rollin’ Studios.

 Thomas Sullivan and Leo Wolfe took over the job to make the right casting for the series. It was crucial for this deeply personal story to star the right actors to portray the role. The series Civilian will follow Kesy’s character, who is a war-scarred veteran trying to breathe in the quiet of civilian life, only to be pulled back into danger when he takes one final mission, while his wife wrestles with buried regrets.

  As Budion shared, Civilian is also inspired by his brother , Anthony, and his close friend, Ryan, both of whom served honorably in the United States Air Force. So, for such a personal project, he was impressed with the casting of Birch and Kesy.  

“I could not think of a more perfect pairing of the iconic Thora Birch and former marine Jack Kesy to bring it to the screen,” he told. 

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Before booking the Budion helmed emotional project, Thora Birch was already making headlines elsewhere in Cannes.

Thora Birch made an appearance at Cannes on May 16, 2025. This came more than three decades after she became a pop-culture fixture in Hocus Pocus. At 43, she attended the festival for the world premiere of The Chronology of Water, Kristen Stewart’s feature directorial debut, where Birch appeared alongside Stewart, Imogen Poots, Kim Gordon, and Dylan Meyer. 

The film, adapted from Lidia Yuknavitch’s 2011 memoir, explores trauma, creativity, and self-discovery. And for Birch, this was yet another challenging, character-driven project. While Birch could not reprise her role in Hocus Pocus 2 due to scheduling conflicts, this was quite a full circle moment for the actress to have made it to Cannes. 

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Starring Birch, John J. Budion’s Civilian is set to begin filming later this year. Are you excited about the new series? Let us know in the comments section below.