# Potsy Ponciroli
**Potsy Ponciroli** is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer known for the western *Old Henry* (2021), the black comedy *Greedy People* (2024), and the nearly dialogue-free action film *[Motor City](https://www.edgepedia.org/motor-city-film)* (2025)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1403221/). He began his career directing music videos and commercials, created the CMT television series *Still the King*, and is attached as screenwriter to the sequel *The Goonies 2*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1403221/) • [5](https://www.movieinsider.com/p42790/potsy-ponciroli).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Profession | Director, writer, and producer[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1403221/) |
| Breakthrough feature | *Old Henry* (2021), a western he directed and wrote, starring Tim Blake Nelson, Stephen Dorff, and Trace Adkins[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1403221/) |
| Television work | Created, wrote, and directed episodes of *Still the King* (2016–2017)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1403221/) |
| Signature style choice | *Motor City* (2025) tells its revenge story with about five lines of dialogue, relying on image, music, and sound design[3](https://www.darksidereviews.com/film-motor-city-de-potsy-ponciroli-2025/) |
| Upcoming as director | *The Rescue* (2027), a contemporary Western thriller releasing in theaters January 29, 2027[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1403221/news/) |
| Upcoming as writer | *The Goonies 2*, in pre-production[5](https://www.movieinsider.com/p42790/potsy-ponciroli) |
| Personal life | Married to Amber Ponciroli since October 19, 2018; two children, Kaiser and Charley[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1403221/) |
## Background and early career
Ponciroli is originally from [Northern Virginia](https://www.edgepedia.org/northern-virginia) and moved to Nashville after college, where he got his start in film through music videos and commercials[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1403221/). His early directing credits include the music video for Jerrod Niemann's "Lover, Lover" (2010) and [Colt Ford](https://www.edgepedia.org/colt-ford)'s "Drivin' Around Song" (2013), as well as the concert film *Colt Ford: Crank It Up, Live at Wild Adventures* (2014)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1403221/).
His first narrative feature was the comedy *Super Zeroes* (2012), which he directed and wrote[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1403221/). In television, he created the series *Still the King*, starring [Billy Ray Cyrus](https://www.edgepedia.org/billy-ray-cyrus), which ran from 2016 to 2017; he directed 11 episodes, wrote for 26, and served as executive producer[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1403221/).
## Old Henry
*Old Henry* (2021) is a western that Ponciroli directed and wrote, with a cast including [Tim Blake Nelson](https://www.edgepedia.org/tim-blake-nelson), Stephen Dorff, Trace Adkins, Richard Speight Jr., Scott Haze, and Gavin Lewis[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1403221/). The film was presented at the [Venice Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/venice-film-festival) in 2022[7](https://www.daviddidonatello.it/news/img/RomeFilmFest2024_Cartellastampa.pdf) and established him as a feature director; it remains his highest-rated film on several aggregators, with a 7.3 on IMDb[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1403221/).
## Greedy People and producing work
*Greedy People* (2024) is a black comedy written by Mike Vukadinovich, starring [Himesh Patel](https://www.edgepedia.org/himesh-patel), Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lily James, Uzo Aduba, Tim Blake Nelson, and [Jim Gaffigan](https://www.edgepedia.org/jim-gaffigan), with a runtime of 1 hour 52 minutes[6](https://www.darksidereviews.com/film-greedy-people-de-potsy-ponciroli-2024/). Its plot follows several groups of people coveting the same stash of money, told through interwoven flashbacks in which accounts of events contradict one another[6](https://www.darksidereviews.com/film-greedy-people-de-potsy-ponciroli-2024/) • [7](https://www.daviddidonatello.it/news/img/RomeFilmFest2024_Cartellastampa.pdf).
Alongside his directing, Ponciroli has built a producing record. He was executive producer on *Jay and Silent Bob Reboot* (2019), *Ted K* (2021), *The United States of Insanity* (2021), *3022* (2019), *Asleep in My Palm* (2023), and the documentary *Pencils vs Pixels* (2023), and producer on *Howard's Mill* (2021) and *Greedy People*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1403221/).
## Motor City
*Motor City* (2025) is an action film set in 1970s Detroit, starring [Alan Ritchson](https://www.edgepedia.org/alan-ritchson), Shailene Woodley, Ben Foster, and [Pablo Schreiber](https://www.edgepedia.org/pablo-schreiber), based on a screenplay by Chad St. John[3](https://www.darksidereviews.com/film-motor-city-de-potsy-ponciroli-2025/). The project had a long development history: St. John's script had been on the Black List, the industry list of well-regarded unproduced screenplays, since 2009, and Warner Bros. attached directors and leads including Albert Hughes, Chris Evans, Dominic Cooper, Jake Gyllenhaal, Gerard Butler, and [Adrien Brody](https://www.edgepedia.org/adrien-brody) before the project stalled[3](https://www.darksidereviews.com/film-motor-city-de-potsy-ponciroli-2025/). In May 2023 Alan Ritchson was cast with Timur Bekmambetov set to direct; Ponciroli replaced him in 2024[3](https://www.darksidereviews.com/film-motor-city-de-potsy-ponciroli-2025/).
The film's defining choice is its near-total absence of dialogue, about five lines in the whole runtime, with the story carried by physical performance, cinematography, music, and sound design[3](https://www.darksidereviews.com/film-motor-city-de-potsy-ponciroli-2025/). Producer Greg Silverman explained that the absence of speech lets audiences worldwide experience the story the same way regardless of language or cultural origin[3](https://www.darksidereviews.com/film-motor-city-de-potsy-ponciroli-2025/). The film divided audiences: it earned under $3 million at the US box office against an estimated $30 million budget, while specialized critics responded more favorably[3](https://www.darksidereviews.com/film-motor-city-de-potsy-ponciroli-2025/).
## The Rescue and The Goonies 2
*[The Rescue](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-rescue-2027-film)* (2027) is a contemporary Western thriller directed by Ponciroli, starring [Brandon Sklenar](https://www.edgepedia.org/brandon-sklenar), Josh Lucas, Hassie Harrison, Nick Searcy, Austin Amelio, Tim Blake Nelson, and [Josh Duhamel](https://www.edgepedia.org/josh-duhamel), scheduled for theatrical release on January 29, 2027[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1403221/news/). Ponciroli also serves as its producer[2](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-785124/filmographie/).
As a screenwriter, he is attached to *The Goonies 2*, the sequel to the 1985 adventure film, which is in pre-production[5](https://www.movieinsider.com/p42790/potsy-ponciroli) • [2](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-785124/filmographie/). His producing slate also includes the executive-producer credits *The Isolate Thief* (2026) and *The Whistler* (2026)[2](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-785124/filmographie/).
## References
1. [Potsy Ponciroli, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1403221/)
2. [Potsy Ponciroli : Filmographie, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-785124/filmographie/)
3. [Motor City, de Potsy Ponciroli (2025), Dark Side Reviews](https://www.darksidereviews.com/film-motor-city-de-potsy-ponciroli-2025/)
4. [Potsy Ponciroli – News, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1403221/news/)
5. [Potsy Ponciroli Film Credits, Movie Insider](https://www.movieinsider.com/p42790/potsy-ponciroli)
6. [Greedy People, de Potsy Ponciroli (2024), Dark Side Reviews](https://www.darksidereviews.com/film-greedy-people-de-potsy-ponciroli-2024/)
7. [Festa del Cinema di Roma 2024 press booklet, David di Donatello](https://www.daviddidonatello.it/news/img/RomeFilmFest2024_Cartellastampa.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Film and television directors › Directors of the United States and Canada › Contemporary film directors › Directors debuting in the 2010s and later*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 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