Inde Navarrette will star in Apple’s sci-fi thriller The Waffle House Index after her breakout in Obsession and casting as Rogue in X-Men.
September 5, 2026
Inde Navarrette Adds Another Major Film Role
Inde Navarrette is quickly building an impressive slate of major projects. The actress has been cast as the lead in The Waffle House Index, an upcoming sci-fi thriller from Apple Original Films, marking another significant step forward following her breakout performance in Obsession.
Navarrette will also serve as an executive producer on the project, giving her a role behind the scenes in addition to starring. The film is being produced by Plan B Entertainment, with Louis Paxton attached to direct from a screenplay by Andrew Nunnelly. The script appeared on the 2025 Black List, a notable annual compilation highlighting highly regarded unproduced screenplays.
Credit: WireImage
A Strange Night At the Waffle House
While the full details of the film are being kept under wraps, its premise already hints at an unusually ambitious genre story. Navarrette will play Jane, a Waffle House waitress working the graveyard shift as a dangerous storm approaches.
Jane’s already difficult night reportedly takes a dramatic turn when an armed stranger enters the restaurant. From there, the story escalates into a series of increasingly surreal events, blending disaster thriller elements with science fiction and darker genre ideas.
The Story Goes Far Beyond a Storm
The movie’s reported plot becomes considerably more unusual after the initial setup. The escalating chaos includes flooding, killer crocodiles, a nuclear explosion, aliens and a mysterious magical bunker located beneath the restaurant.
That combination gives The Waffle House Index a very different identity from a straightforward disaster movie. Rather than focusing solely on surviving a storm, the film appears designed to move between multiple genres while keeping its central character trapped in the middle of an increasingly bizarre situation.
What The Waffle House Index Actually Means
The film’s title is based on a real-world term associated with severe weather and emergency response. The Waffle House Index refers to the operating status of the restaurant chain during a natural disaster and is commonly used as an informal indicator of how seriously an area has been affected.
A green status indicates normal operations, while yellow signals limited service. Red means a location has closed, generally reflecting conditions serious enough to make continued operation unsafe. That real-world idea provides the starting point for the film’s much more fantastical story.
Credit: Universal Pictures
Louis Paxton Is Set To Direct
Louis Paxton is attached to direct The Waffle House Index. The filmmaker is coming off The Incomer, which earned the NEXT Innovator Award at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
The screenplay comes from Andrew Nunnelly, whose work on The Waffle House Index landed on the 2025 Black List. Sources have also reported that the screenplay was acquired in a seven-figure deal, underscoring the level of interest surrounding the project before production even begins.
Navarrette’s Career Is Moving Quickly
The new film arrives at a particularly important point in Navarrette’s career. Her performance in Obsession helped turn her into a breakout talent, and she was recently announced as Rogue in Marvel’s upcoming X-Men film.
That combination of projects gives Navarrette an unusually broad slate, moving from horror into a major superhero franchise and now a high-concept science-fiction thriller. Taking on an executive producer role with The Waffle House Index also gives the actress an opportunity to expand her influence beyond acting.
From Television To Major Film Projects
Before her recent film breakthrough, Navarrette was already building experience across television. She appeared in the final season of 13 Reasons Why and later became a series regular on Superman & Lois.
She also made her Sundance debut with Wander Darkly, starring alongside Sienna Miller and Diego Luna. Those earlier credits helped establish her range before Obsession pushed her into a much bigger spotlight.
Credit: IMDb
Apple And Plan B Are Behind The Project
Apple Original Films has picked up the project, while Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment is producing. For Navarrette, that combination puts her at the center of another high-profile production at a time when her career momentum is accelerating.
There is still no announced release date or production start date for The Waffle House Index, and additional casting details have not yet been revealed. For now, the film’s unusual premise and Navarrette’s lead role make it one of the more distinctive additions to her growing slate.
Final Thoughts
Inde Navarrette’s move into The Waffle House Index gives the rising actress another opportunity to lead a major genre project while expanding her role as a producer. With an unusual premise, a Black List screenplay and backing from Apple Original Films and Plan B, the movie already has plenty of attention around it.
Coming so soon after her Obsession breakthrough and X-Men casting, the project further establishes Navarrette as one of the newer performers landing increasingly prominent film roles.
FAQs
Who is Inde Navarrette playing in The Waffle House Index?
Navarrette will play Jane, a Waffle House waitress whose graveyard shift becomes increasingly dangerous and bizarre.
What is The Waffle House Index about?
The film follows a waitress whose difficult night takes a surreal turn when an armed stranger arrives during a major storm.
Who is directing The Waffle House Index?
Louis Paxton is directing the film from a screenplay by Andrew Nunnelly.
What does the Waffle House Index mean?
It is an informal measure of the severity of a natural disaster based on whether Waffle House locations remain fully open, operate with limited service or close.
Will Inde Navarrette also produce the movie?
Yes. Along with starring in the film, Navarrette will serve as an executive producer.
Published by HOLR Magazine