Austin Nichols Makes a Splash with Slacker Golf Comedy The Salamander King at DIFF

Ryan Hansen and Adrianne Palicki rally to save a Texas golf course in Austin Nichols’ directorial debut The Salamander King.

Austin Nichols Tees Off His Directorial Debut with Slacker Golf Comedy The Salamander King

Austin, Texas is known for its weirdness, its warmth—and now, thanks to The Salamander King, its golf courses. Actor-turned-filmmaker Austin Nichols makes his feature directorial debut with this irreverent underdog comedy, premiering this week at the Dallas International Film Festival.

Set in the heart of Austin, The Salamander King follows a down-on-his-luck municipal golf pro and his band of slacker buddies as they scramble to save their cherished course from being wiped off the map. Think Caddyshack meets every “save the rec center” movie—but draped in Lone Star weirdness.

Ryan Hansen (Veronica Mars) stars as the lovable burnout with a golf swing and a dream, while Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights, John Wick) brings grounded charm to this screwball ensemble. Together, they face gentrifiers, local politics, and personal chaos with humor and heart.

Nichols—best known for roles in The Walking Dead and the upcoming I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot—steps behind the camera to deliver a love letter to Texas culture, friendship, and the great game of golf… sort of.

Today, the studio dropped the film’s first trailer—a hilarious teaser filled with turf wars, golf carts, and plenty of offbeat one-liners. Expect more updates, character intros, and chaos as The Salamander King rolls into the festival circuit.

Catch The Salamander King at DIFF with two festival screenings this week. And keep your eyes peeled—this one could become Austin’s next cult comedy classic.

A municipal golf pro and his slacker friends band together to save their beloved golf course and way of life from extinction.

Director: Austin Nichols

Screenwriter: Drew Mackintosh

Producers: Jennifer Kuczaj, Christian Sosa, Jon Wrobleski

Executive Producer: Paul Merryman

1st AD: Vince Palmo

Cinematographer: Peter Kowalski

Editor: Brian Scofield

Cast: Ryan Hansen, Adrianne Palicki, Dulce Sloan, Justin Chatwin, Reggie Bush, Temple Baker, Bill Wise, Brad Leland, Joe Hursley, Lilit Avagyan, Bobo Hoang, Christopher St. Mary