LA Weekly spotlights Don Worley’s Cannes slate and Second Chance Pictures growth

LA Weekly published a feature on actor-producer Don Worley after Cannes 2026, where he showed three films, joined an industry panel and discussed the expansion of his production company, Second Chance Pictures. The piece also highlights his move into vertical series and a slate that now spans festival titles, theatrical releases and projects heading into production.

Why it matters: - Don Worley is building a cross-format producing slate that moves from festival films to theatrical releases and mobile-first vertical series. - The Cannes feature signals how independent creators are trying to widen distribution and audience reach across multiple viewing platforms. - Second Chance Pictures now has six projects in active production or pre-production, giving the company a visible pipeline beyond a single title.

What happened: - LA Weekly published a new feature on Don Worley after Cannes 2026. - Worley arrived at the festival with three films in the mix and a featured spot on an industry panel. - The feature profiles Worley as both an actor and producer. - The article covers the slate Worley is building through Second Chance Pictures and his expansion into vertical series. - Worley said Cannes was a chance to be in the room while the business works out where it's going. - Worley said Second Chance is being built to move across formats, from theatrical to vertical.

The details: - Worley brought A Time for Sunset to the market himself. - A Time for Sunset won Best Thriller at the Culver City Film Festival. - Film Threat gave A Time for Sunset a 9/10 rating. - A Time for Sunset is streaming on Apple TV and Amazon. - Worley appears in Neil Burger's action thriller Barracuda alongside Anthony Mackie and Dafne Keen. - Worley also appears in Christmas at the Kringles, a holiday horror-comedy set for a wide theatrical release on November 20 through Briarcliff Entertainment. - At Cannes, Worley joined "The Future of Film," a panel hosted by MovieMaker Magazine at La Muse on the Cannes beachfront. - Worley took part in the panel with MovieMaker Editor-in-Chief Tim Molloy, actress-producer Jaime King and producer Fernando Ferro. - Second Chance Pictures currently has six projects in active production or pre-production. - One of those projects is The Tempering, a faith-based crime thriller starring Angie Harmon. - Worley rewrote The Tempering. - The Tempering is heading into principal photography. - Worley is also producing and acting in vertical series. - The vertical series cast includes Tara Reid, Vivica Fox and Alexis Knapp. - LA Weekly says the feature is available now and links to the full feature.

Between the lines: - Worley is positioning Second Chance Pictures as a multi-format company rather than a single-project shop. - The Cannes panel appearance and the mix of genre projects suggest a strategy aimed at both industry visibility and commercial flexibility. - The move into vertical series reflects a broader push into mobile-first storytelling, where shorter-form content can reach viewers outside traditional theatrical pipelines.

What's next: - The Tempering is moving toward principal photography. - Christmas at the Kringles is scheduled for a wide theatrical release on November 20. - Second Chance Pictures has five other projects in addition to The Tempering moving through production or pre-production. - Worley's vertical series work appears to be part of a longer-term expansion across formats.