Shubhabrata Dutta
Cameron Duddy has found the lead for his debut feature directorial! The Cinemaholic can confirm that Ben Foster will star in the upcoming Western drama ‘Cowboy.’ Filming will take place in June of this year in Calgary, Alberta. Jess Carson and Adair Cole wrote the screenplay.
The plot follows Lee “Babe” Midnight, a former rodeo legend who earns a living through small-time shows and shady deals. When he meets young, aspiring rider Clif Casey, he takes him under his wing, albeit reluctantly. As Clif gains experience and popularity in the rodeo circuit, Lee has trouble dealing with his loss of glory, past regrets, and the pain of being away from his son Ace.
As the plot progresses, Lee’s betrayals keep increasing, even leading to a rift with Clif. Then, at the prestigious Calgary Stampede, an injured Lee hands over his Turtle Association ring to Clif, asking the latter to pass it on to Ace, before going on his last bull ride, his final act of legacy. ‘Cowboy’ explores the various aspects of ambition, masculinity, and generational responsibility, against the backdrop of modern rodeo.
Ben Foster is no stranger to Western movies, having played a string of roles in many films in the genre, including Tanner Howard in ‘Hell or High Water,’ Philip Wills in ‘Hostiles,’ and Charlie Prince in ‘3:10 to Yuma.’ His other recent projects include John Swab’s crime thriller ‘King Ivory,’ which throws light on fentanyl trafficking, Brian Helgeland’s crime thriller ‘Finestkind,’ which centers on a crew of fishermen wading into dangerous waters to clear their debt, and Antoine Fuqua’s historical drama ‘Emancipation,’ which follows a slave who escapes his owners and has to navigate the swamps of Louisiana.
Cameron Duddy has many music videos to his directorial credit, including Midland’s ‘Sunrise Tells the Story,’ John Mayer’s ‘Last Train Home,’ Bruno Mars’ ‘Versace on the Floor,’ and Jennifer Lopez’s ‘Ain’t Your Mama. He also directed an episode of the horror miniseries ‘Flhaunt,’ which centers on the investigation of a home invasion that was televised, and co-directed the documentaries ‘Midland: The Sonic Ranch,’ the origin story of his country band Midland, and ‘John Henry: A Steel Driving Race Horse,’ based on the life of the titular champion Thoroughbred horse.
Calgary has previously hosted the filming of ‘The Last of Us,’ ‘Billy the Kid,’ ‘Joe Pickett,’ and ‘My Life with the Walter Boys.’
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