React Native crash after running Android DEBUG build: AndroidRuntime: FATAL EXCEPTION: create_react_context

Question

Just got a new M1 MBP from work. The app builds successfully, however, the app crashes immediately on launch when building for debug. Release builds launch without an issue.

I've gone through every file in the Android folder and I've compared it to a new RN project of the same version. Can't seem to find anything that would cause the app to not launch. The stack trace from the crash is below.

Stack trace:

--------- beginning of crash
2022-02-09 14:31:27.093 12685-12719/com.myApp E/AndroidRuntime: FATAL EXCEPTION: create_react_context
    Process: com.myApp, PID: 12685
    java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to load script. Make sure you're either running Metro (run 'npx react-native start') or that your bundle 'index.android.bundle' is packaged correctly for release.
        at com.facebook.react.bridge.CatalystInstanceImpl.jniLoadScriptFromAssets(Native Method)
        at com.facebook.react.bridge.CatalystInstanceImpl.loadScriptFromAssets(CatalystInstanceImpl.java:239)
        at com.facebook.react.bridge.JSBundleLoader$1.loadScript(JSBundleLoader.java:29)
        at com.facebook.react.bridge.CatalystInstanceImpl.runJSBundle(CatalystInstanceImpl.java:268)
        at com.facebook.react.ReactInstanceManager.createReactContext(ReactInstanceManager.java:1371)
        at com.facebook.react.ReactInstanceManager.access$1100(ReactInstanceManager.java:136)
        at com.facebook.react.ReactInstanceManager$5.run(ReactInstanceManager.java:1065)
        at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:920)

React Native Info

System:
    OS: macOS 12.2
    CPU: (10) arm64 Apple M1 Max
    Memory: 5.28 GB / 64.00 GB
    Shell: 5.8 - /bin/zsh
  Binaries:
    Node: 16.14.0 - ~/.nvm/versions/node/v16.14.0/bin/node
    Yarn: 1.22.15 - ~/.nvm/versions/node/v16.14.0/bin/yarn
    npm: 8.3.1 - ~/.nvm/versions/node/v16.14.0/bin/npm
    Watchman: 2022.02.07.00 - /opt/homebrew/bin/watchman
  Managers:
    CocoaPods: 1.11.2 - /opt/homebrew/lib/ruby/gems/3.1.0/bin/pod
  SDKs:
    iOS SDK:
      Platforms: DriverKit 21.2, iOS 15.2, macOS 12.1, tvOS 15.2, watchOS 8.3
    Android SDK: Not Found
  IDEs:
    Android Studio: 2021.1 AI-211.7628.21.2111.8139111
    Xcode: 13.2.1/13C100 - /usr/bin/xcodebuild
  Languages:
    Java: 11.0.2 - /usr/bin/javac
  npmPackages:
    @react-native-community/cli: Not Found
    react: 17.0.2 => 17.0.2 
    react-native: 0.66.3 => 0.66.3 
    react-native-macos: Not Found
  npmGlobalPackages:
    *react-native*: Not Found