About
Trash Mountain is a comedy-drama written by Caleb Hearon and Ruby Caster, directed by Kris Rey, and produced by Colin Trevorrow's Metronome Film Co. alongside Eddie Vaisman and Julia Lebedev of Sight Unseen. The film follows Gavin, a 27-year-old gay man thriving in Chicago, who must return to rural Missouri after the sudden death of his hoarder father to sort through a house overflowing with items of varying value alongside his sister Abbi and their grandmother Helen. The project draws from Hearon's own background -- the comedian and writer grew up in Chillicothe, Missouri, in a conservative Christian household before performing at iO Theater in Chicago and relocating to Los Angeles, where he amassed over one million TikTok followers and earned spots on Variety's "Top Comics to Watch" and Vulture's "Comedians You Should and Will Know" lists in 2020. Lilly Wachowski was originally attached to direct as her first solo feature after reading the script and calling it "beautiful and sad and funny," but she ultimately shifted to an executive producer role, with Kris Rey (I Used to Go Here) stepping in to direct. Principal photography began in October 2025 in Chicago. The ensemble cast includes Zooey Deschanel, Kyle Marvin, Jaboukie Young-White (also a Midwest native), Jacki Weaver as Grandma Helen, and Holmes. Lilly Wachowski executive produces alongside the core production team.
Filming Locations
2 locationsCinespace Chicago Film Studios
2621 W 15th Pl
Interior scenes. Directed by Kris Swanberg, produced by Colin Trevorrow and Lilly Wachowski.
Chicago
Oct 1, 2025 - Jan 31, 2026
Various Chicago neighborhoods
Various locations
Feature film set in Chicago. Caleb Hearon credits Chicago artistic communities.
Chicago
Oct 1, 2025 - Jan 31, 2026
Sources
5 verifiedResearched from 5 independent sources. How we research →
