Lewis Pullman to Star in Kaitlyn Mikayla’s Motocross Coming-of-Age Film ‘Ragamuffin,’ Produced by David Permut

Lewis Pullman, known for Top Gun: Maverick and the forthcoming Thunderbolts*, has been attached as the lead actor in Ragamuffin, a coming-of-age motocross drama being developed as the feature directorial debut of Kaitlyn Mikayla. The project is described as a film adaptation of a short created by Mikayla, with longtime film producer David Permut discovering the short at Sundance and moving it into development.

Permut will produce Ragamuffin through his Permut Presentations banner, alongside Alex Astrachan. The film is currently in pre-production, according to Deadline’s report, and the attached creative team is built around Mikayla’s transition from short to feature storytelling and Pullman’s role in anchoring the film’s performances for a wider audience.

The announcement ties the film’s origin to Mikayla’s short work, with Permut credited in the report as the producer who first encountered it at Sundance and brought it forward. Deadline did not detail specific plot points in its account, focusing instead on the production arrangement and the key cast and development milestones.

For Pullman, the motocross setting is positioned as a dramatic backdrop for the coming-of-age material, and the casting announcement places him in a project that centers on a youth-oriented narrative while drawing on the sport’s demanding physical and technical demands. The report frames the film as a feature built from Mikayla’s earlier work rather than as a franchise or remake.

Permut, a producer associated with a range of high-profile projects, is also credited with shepherding the film’s path from festival discovery to feature development. With Permut Presentations and Astrachan’s involvement, the production is structured around a producer-led development process following a festival moment, a route that has become increasingly common for projects transitioning from shorts to larger studio-backed development.

The report does not provide a release date, distributor, or filming schedule. It also does not specify whether additional casting or writing revisions are already underway beyond the pre-production stage. As a result, the next practical steps for audiences and industry watchers will be announcements on production timing, the film’s full cast, and distribution plans once partners are finalized.

Ragamuffin joins Pullman’s broader film slate, including his participation in major releases highlighted by the reporting, and it likewise expands the development pipeline for Mikayla, who moves from short-form filmmaking to directing a feature. For the production team, the key public milestone will be when the film’s production start date and final creative credits are released.

As described, the project’s development rests on three central elements: Mikayla’s original short and feature ambition, Permut’s festival discovery and producing role, and Pullman’s attachment as a leading actor. Until further details are released, viewers can expect only limited information on story specifics, shooting timelines, and release plans as the film progresses through pre-production.