Matthew McConaughey fever continues in Alabama as the Oscar-winning actor films his new movie here, “The Rivals of Amziah King.” The latest area to be hit with Matthew Mania was Walker County, as fans spotted McConaughey at two iconic sites: The Frosty Mug in Jasper and the former location of Jean’s on the River in Cordova.

Filming kicked off on Friday in Walker County, and folks there were ready and waiting for McConaughey, after seeing construction of a movie set at The Frosty Mug. The longtime drive-in at 8340 Highway 78 is in a scenic spot in Jasper, near the Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River.

Reports by The Community Journal confirmed that filming would take place at The Frosty Mug, although the exact dates were not confirmed.

On Thursday, a Facebook notice by Goleman Casting sealed the deal, as it called for background actors who could work on Friday at a “country roadside restaurant” in Jasper. Fans connected the dots — realizing that The Frosty Mug would be transformed into a joint called Ulysses’ for the filming — and many flocked to the site on Friday, hoping for a glimpse of the star.

Lindsey Mullinax of Jasper was one of the lucky folks who managed to spot McConaughey on Friday around 6 p.m., as the actor — wearing a T-shirt, shorts, sunglasses and flip-flops, and carrying a mandolin — got into a car in the parking lot of Jean’s on the River, a former family restaurant at 305 River Road in Cordova.

Jean’s is less than a mile from The Frosty Mug, and Mullinax had noticed that crew members appeared to be stationed there.

“I had a feeling he might show up there first because there was trailers,” Mullinax told AL.com. “He pulled in and went inside the trailer for a few minutes and luckily I saw him coming out. I was so excited!”

(You can see photos of McConaughey in Walker County, provided by Mullinax, in the gallery at the top of this post.)

Mullinax, a McConaughey fan since the ‘90s, said she was thrilled to see the actor in person, although she kept a respectful distance and snapped photos from a nearby church parking lot.

“Fell in love with him on a ‘Time to Kill’ and have watched everything he’s even been in ever since multiple times. His voice is mesmerizing, he’s charming, an amazing actor and I love him,” Mullinax said in a Facebook post. Also: “My life has been made even though I would’ve liked to have gotten closer!! That was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me!”

Other people in Walker County, such as Camryn Wright and Diane Henderson Murphey, posted photos and videos of the actor on social media, sharing the excitement of McConaughey’s visit there.

Filming at The Frosty Mug ended on Saturday, according to The Community Journal. At least one nearby road was closed during the filming and members of the Walker County Sheriff’s Office worked traffic control and set security, the Journal said.

Now folks are visiting The Frosty Mug to take selfies and other photos at the restaurant, while signs for the fictional “Ulyssess’ Steak Sandwiches” remain on site.

Filming for “The Rivals of Amziah King” started on June 9 and is scheduled to continue through July, at several other locations in and around the Birmingham area. Goleman Casting has mentioned dates for background actors who would work on July 31, as scenes are filmed in a fictional fast-food joint called Sad Abe’s. (There’s no word yet on a location for Sad Abe’s.)

Over the last month or so, McConaughey has been spotted during filming at J&J Grocery & Deli in Bessemer and the Pell City Steak House Restaurant. Fans have reported McConaughey sightings in the Green Valley neighborhood of Hoover, as well.

The celebrity news site Just Jared posted several photos of McConaughey filming in Alabama, at an undisclosed location that’s evidently standing in for a warehouse or a plant that bottles honey. McConaughey’s character in “The Rivals of Amziah King” is involved in beekeeping, and some of the photos posted by Just Jared include a sign that says “King Honey Operations.”

Angelina LookingGlass is included in the photos with McConaughey, according to Just Jared, although the actress hasn’t officially been confirmed as a cast member for the film.

McConaughey has been spotted while off duty in Birmingham, chatting with a producer for “Amziah King” at the Frothy Monkey downtown. One fan caught a glimpse of the star walking into Bottega, an upscale restaurant in Southside, and posted photos of the moment on Facebook.

“I said ‘Welcome to Birmingham’ and he responded ‘Thank you’ and his whole family smiled and they headed in to eat!,” Stephanie Dawkins Hair said in a Facebook post. “He seemed very humble, drove his family there, no bodyguards, etc!”

McConaughey was announced as the star of “The Rivals of Amziah King” on May 8 by Black Bear Pictures, an independent studio based in California and London. Reports at the time described the movie as a “deeply atmospheric, character-focused crime thriller set against the unique backdrop of remote Oklahoma.”

Details about the storyline haven’t been confirmed, but writer/director Andrew Patterson previously worked on a movie with the same title in 2018. That version of “Amziah King” was filmed, at least in part, about five years ago in Navarro County, Texas. A report by the Corsicana Daily Sun said Patterson filmed scenes there in August 2018 and described the plot this way:

“The film is based upon a woman named Kateri … that leaves her small town life behind for bigger ventures. After learning her grandfather has gone missing, she returns and begins the business of beekeeping, fighting her way to the top, while she searches for him.”

It’s unclear if Patterson’s current script for “The Rivals of Amziah King” will follow the previous storyline, or if it’s been changed for McConaughey. We do know, however, that beekeeping remains an element in the plot. Also, music is part of the storyline — note the mandolin in McConaughey’s hand during the photos taken in Walker County — and casting notices have mentioned featured roles for actors who can play the guitar, the fiddle and other instruments.

McConaughey, 53, is a household name in the entertainment world. He’s known for movies such as “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Dazed and Confused,” “A Time to Kill,” “The Lincoln Lawyer,” “Magic Mike,” “Mud,” “Free State of Jones,” “Interstellar” and more. He won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and other accolades for his role in 2013′s “Dallas Buyers Club.” McConaughey also earned acclaim for his work in the first season of the TV series “True Detective.”

This isn’t McConaughey’s first visit to Alabama. The actor previously filmed scenes for 2006′s “Failure to Launch” in Cherokee and Etowah counties, according to a 2005 report by The Gadsden Times. The actor went rock climbing at Cherokee Rock Village in Leesburg and filmed a mountain-biking scene on a nearby ridge, a producer for the movie said.

McConaughey also was spotted in Mobile in February 2015, around the time he filmed “Free State of Jones” in Louisiana.

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