# Best Pancakes in the County
**Best Pancakes in the County** is an upcoming American action thriller written and directed by Ken Sanzel, starring [Nicolas Cage](https://www.edgepedia.org/nicolas-cage), Justin Long, and [Shelley Hennig](https://www.edgepedia.org/shelley-hennig). Set over a single night, the film follows a deadly standoff at a small-town diner after a botched FBI heist, involving rogue federal agents, a con man with a dangerous past, and a waitress harboring secrets of her own.[1](https://www.independentfilmco.com/films/best-pancakes-in-the-county) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/best_pancakes_in_the_county)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director and writer | Ken Sanzel, who previously directed Cage in the 2019 action thriller *Kill Chain*[3](https://nerdtropolis.com/best-pancakes-in-the-county-nicolas-cage-trailer/) |
| Lead cast | Nicolas Cage as S.O.B., Justin Long as Cookie, Shelley Hennig as Dolly, Ravi Patel as Ryder[4](https://www.fandango.com/best-pancakes-in-the-county-2026-248121/movie-overview) |
| Genre and runtime | Action, Mystery & Thriller; 1h 38m (98 minutes)[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/best_pancakes_in_the_county) |
| US release | November 20, 2026, limited theatrical and digital, by Independent Film Company[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/best_pancakes_in_the_county) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt38258118/releaseinfo/) |
| Filming location | Central Arkansas, where principal photography wrapped before the film moved into post-production[6](https://www.productionlist.com/productions/week/2026-07-13) |
| Production companies | Beno Films, CaliWood Pictures, and Fluffybear Media; Fortitude International handles international sales[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/best_pancakes_in_the_county) |
| Reported budget | $9,000,000[7](https://mdblist.com/movie/43yae-best-pancakes-in-the-county?cache=1) |
## Premise
The official synopsis describes a cunning criminal who returns to his remote diner after a botched FBI heist, where rival assassins, corrupt agents, and an underestimated waitress collide in a deadly confrontation.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/best_pancakes_in_the_county) The distributor's synopsis frames the story as one explosive night in which loyalties blur and survival depends on who can outthink and outgun everyone else; the marketing tagline notes that in this diner, the "best pancakes in the county" turn out to be the least explosive thing on the menu.[1](https://www.independentfilmco.com/films/best-pancakes-in-the-county)
Cage's character is billed simply as S.O.B., an eccentric and cunning criminal caught in the escalating confrontation. [Justin Long](https://www.edgepedia.org/justin-long) plays Cookie and Shelley Hennig plays Dolly, the waitress with secrets. Ravi Patel portrays Ryder, described in trade reporting as the quietly authoritative leader of the S.O.B.'s hired security detail.[4](https://www.fandango.com/best-pancakes-in-the-county-2026-248121/movie-overview) • [8](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3581811/news/)
## Cast
The ensemble includes, alongside the leads:[4](https://www.fandango.com/best-pancakes-in-the-county-2026-248121/movie-overview) • [9](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/best-pancakes-in-the-county)
- [Lauren German](https://www.edgepedia.org/lauren-german) as Agent Margot
- Brandon Mychal Smith as Agent Otto
- Kelly Greyson as Blondie
- Jaylen Moore as French
- Michael Sirow as Agent Kincaid
- Keraun Harris as Agent Duke
- Skyler Millicano as Agent Ike
- Eddie Martinez as Denny
- Sadie Scott as Red
- Tetiana Dar as Zero
- Chick Bernhard as George and Rosie Bernhard as Irma
- Andrey Grouchko as Nazzi
## Production
In January 2026, trade reporting announced that Ken Sanzel was writing and directing the film with Cage, Long, and Hennig set to star, with production underway in Arkansas.[8](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3581811/news/) Principal photography wrapped in central Arkansas and the film moved into post-production by July 2026; a trailer report states the film was shot in the shell of a long-closed roadside eatery in Pinnacle Valley.[6](https://www.productionlist.com/productions/week/2026-07-13) • [10](https://sfcrowsnest.info/best-pancakes-in-the-county-trailer-nicolas-cage/)
The producers are Eduard Osipov, Raja Collins, Eric Brenner, Niko Fomenko, Gary Preisler, and R. Wesley Sierk III.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/best_pancakes_in_the_county) The film was introduced by Fortitude International to distributors, with post-Cannes sales announced for France (Snd), Germany (Leonine), Italy (Leone), the Middle East (Falcon), Poland (Kinoswiat), and the CIS (Daro).[11](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm16870392/news/)
**The director.** Ken Sanzel began his career in 1997 writing an episode of the series *Lawless*, followed by the screenplay for [John Woo](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-woo)'s *[The Replacement Killers](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-replacement-killers)*. He wrote and directed *Scar City* (1998) and *Lone Hero* (2002), worked as an executive producer on the CBS series *Numb3rs* from 2006 and directed episodes of it in 2009, and was later an executive on the CBS series *Blue Bloods*. Before entering the industry he served as a police officer in the decoy unit of the NYPD.[12](https://www.bestpancakes.movie/director)
## Release
Independent Film Company scheduled the film for a simultaneous limited theatrical and digital release in the United States on November 20, 2026.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/best_pancakes_in_the_county) • [13](https://creativemediatimes.com/nicolas-cage-takes-over-a-diner-in-ifcs-action-thriller-best-pancakes-in-the-county/) IMDb's release-info page separately lists a United States limited date of January 4, 2027, and several database sites carry that date as well; the distributor's own page and ticketing sites show November 20, 2026.[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt38258118/releaseinfo/) • [14](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/movie/best-pancakes-in-the-county?context.unit=HC) As of late October 2026, the film had no announced streaming availability.[9](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/best-pancakes-in-the-county)
## References
1. [Best Pancakes in the County, Independent Film Company](https://www.independentfilmco.com/films/best-pancakes-in-the-county)
2. [Best Pancakes in the County, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/best_pancakes_in_the_county)
3. [Nicolas Cage's Best Pancakes in the County Serves Up a Deadly Diner Showdown, Nerdtropolis](https://nerdtropolis.com/best-pancakes-in-the-county-nicolas-cage-trailer/)
4. [Best Pancakes in the County (2026) Showtimes, Fandango](https://www.fandango.com/best-pancakes-in-the-county-2026-248121/movie-overview)
5. [Best Pancakes in the County (2027) Release info, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt38258118/releaseinfo/)
6. [Production List, Week of July 13, 2026](https://www.productionlist.com/productions/week/2026-07-13)
7. [Best Pancakes in the County (2026), MDBList](https://mdblist.com/movie/43yae-best-pancakes-in-the-county?cache=1)
8. [Eduard Osipov News, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3581811/news/)
9. [Best Pancakes in the County streaming online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/best-pancakes-in-the-county)
10. [Best Pancakes in the County Trailer, SFcrowsnest](https://sfcrowsnest.info/best-pancakes-in-the-county-trailer-nicolas-cage/)
11. [Raja Collins News, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm16870392/news/)
12. [Director, Best Pancakes In The County official site](https://www.bestpancakes.movie/director)
13. [Nicolas Cage Takes Over a Diner in IFC's Action Thriller, Creative Media Times](https://creativemediatimes.com/nicolas-cage-takes-over-a-diner-in-ifcs-action-thriller-best-pancakes-in-the-county/)
14. [Best Pancakes in the County, Plex](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/movie/best-pancakes-in-the-county?context.unit=HC)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Action and adventure films (individual works) › Action thrillers, 2020s › Crime, assassin, and vigilante thrillers › Titles symbols to L*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license