Indio Downey is stepping into his first movie lead with Love In Vein, an independent addiction drama adapted from the late Ryan Leone’s novel Wasting Talent.
The 33-year-old musician and actor, who is the eldest of Robert Downey Jr.’s three children, will play Damien, the central figure in a story involving addiction, romance and self-destruction within Los Angeles’ underground landscape.
Will De Los Santos, whose credits include Spun, is writing and directing the adaptation. Muse Productions is producing the film in association with ArtHouse Gooning, while principal photography is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles during March and April 2027.
Inside Indio Downey’s New Role
Love In Vein will follow Damien as drugs, relationships, music and survival collide. The story will also examine the people around him as they confront their own forms of desire, dependency and escape.
For Downey, the casting marks a major change in scale. He has previously appeared briefly in a handful of movies, including Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, which starred his father, but Damien will be his first leading film role.
De Los Santos described the source novel as an unflinching account of addiction, love and Los Angeles, and said Leone’s death has given the planned movie additional personal significance.
“Ryan left behind a brutally honest novel about addiction, love and Los Angeles. Since his passing, making Love In Vein has taken on an even deeper meaning for me. I want to honor his voice and the rawness of the book without softening its edges,” the filmmaker said.
The drama is being produced by Chris Hanley, Orson Oblowitz, Tricia van Klaveren and Ben D. Wallace. Hanley’s producing credits include American Psycho, Spring Breakers and The Virgin Suicides.
Jeffrey Gliwa is financing the project through Blue Shark Pictures and will also serve as an executive producer. Additional casting is currently underway.
A Downey Family Reunion for the Producer
The project also reconnects Hanley with the Downey family. He previously produced Two Girls and a Guy, which starred Robert Downey Jr., making Love In Vein his latest film with a member of the family.
“I’m thrilled to be making another film with a Downey,” Hanley said. “I produced Two Girls and a Guy with Robert many years ago, and now getting to work with Indio on Love In Vein feels like a wonderful full-circle moment. Indio brings exactly the vulnerability and authenticity this role needs.”
The subject matter also has a personal family resonance. Robert Downey Jr. experienced addiction issues during the 1990s before overcoming them and becoming one of the world’s most highly paid and in-demand actors. Indio’s casting, however, is centered on Leone’s fictional character Damien and De Los Santos’ adaptation of the novel.
ShowBiz Take
Love In Vein represents a clear career milestone for Indio Downey: after limited appearances in earlier movies, he will now be responsible for carrying a feature built around emotionally difficult material.
The production’s significance goes beyond its notable surname. De Los Santos has framed the film as an effort to preserve the late author’s uncompromising perspective, while Hanley has identified vulnerability and authenticity as essential qualities for the lead performance. Together, those comments point to a project that intends to confront its themes directly rather than dilute them.
There is also a genuine full-circle element in Hanley moving from producing a Robert Downey Jr. film to working with his eldest son. Even so, Love In Vein will give Indio the opportunity to establish himself in a substantially larger role of his own.
What Happens Next?
The production is continuing to fill out its cast ahead of its planned Los Angeles shoot in March and April 2027. Downey is currently the confirmed centerpiece of the film as preparations move toward principal photography.