What Castration Movie Anthology iii. Year of the Hyaena is about
The third chapter of Weard's series is expected to function as both standalone and continuation. According to Muscle Distribution, the film will follow two parallel storylines: one centered on a character named Izzy who's fighting against her partner's gender transition, and another tracking Michaela's struggle with the impossible demand to perform goodness while caught between personal desire and broader social expectations. The film's structure—two chapters plus an interlude—suggests Weard isn't interested in linear resolution. Gender transition, desire, and the ethics of attempting to stop someone you love from becoming themselves. That's the terrain.
What we know so far
This is the third installment in the Castration Movie Collection, a multi-part series that's established Weard as a filmmaker willing to work outside conventional narrative and formal constraints. The film is produced under the Hentai Cop Films banner and will premiere in an abridged version at several festivals before the complete 5-hour-25-minute cut becomes available later in 2026. According to IMDb, the cast includes Avalon Fast, Henri Gillespi, Aoife Josie Clements, Louise Weard, Ada Rook, Vera Drew, Abigail Thorn, Liv Agar, and Jane Schoenbrun—an ensemble drawn almost entirely from trans and queer performance and artistic communities. The film's genres are listed as comedy and drama, which—given the subject matter—suggests Weard isn't separating the tragic from the absurd. She's not.
Why it's anticipated
What's striking is that Weard's previous installments in this series have already established her as a filmmaker working in shot-on-video, independent spaces where formal experimentation and thematic boldness aren't compromises—they're the whole point. There's no studio overlay here, no softening. The fact that she's made this film, and that it's finding theatrical distribution despite its length and its refusal to be easily categorized, says something about how the conversation around trans cinema and queer independent filmmaking has shifted. You don't get five-hour anthology films about gender transition into multiplexes without a real commitment from distributors and audiences alike.
Release and where to watch
Castration Movie Anthology iii. Year of the Hyaena is expected to arrive on June 6, 2026, with festival screenings announced for Wicked Queer in Boston (April 12, 2026), American Cinematheque in Los Angeles (June 7, 2026), and Frameline in San Francisco (June 20, 2026). The film has not yet been released, and streaming or VOD availability hasn't been confirmed. Movie OTT will track platform announcements as they're made—check the Where-to-Watch widget for the latest information once the film becomes available.
Frequently asked questions
When is Castration Movie Anthology iii. Year of the Hyaena releasing?
The theatrical release is scheduled for June 6, 2026, in the United States. Festival versions will screen earlier in spring 2026.
Is Castration Movie Anthology iii. Year of the Hyaena out yet?
No. The film hasn't been released as of now. It's expected in 2026.
Where will I be able to watch Castration Movie Anthology iii. Year of the Hyaena?
Streaming and VOD platforms haven't been announced yet. Movie OTT will update the Where-to-Watch widget as soon as rights are confirmed.
How long is the film?
The complete version runs 325 minutes (5 hours 25 minutes). An abridged cut will play festivals before the full version becomes available.
Who's in the cast?
The ensemble includes Avalon Fast, Henri Gillespi, Aoife Josie Clements, Louise Weard, Ada Rook, Vera Drew, Abigail Thorn, Liv Agar, and Jane Schoenbrun, among others.
What to expect
This isn't a film designed to be comfortable or easily digestible—and honestly, that's the point. Weard's work has always insisted that trans experience, queer desire, and the messiness of trying to live ethically can't be flattened into conventional narrative shapes. A five-hour film about someone trying to stop their partner from transitioning, told alongside a parallel story about performing goodness in an impossible world. It's audacious. It's the kind of work that doesn't arrive often, and when it does, it matters.
