Nicolas Cage, Heather Graham, Stephen Dorff Saddle Up for Western ‘The Gunslingers,’ Brilliant Pictures Launching in Cannes (EXCLUSIVE)
Having starred in only his first Western films in the last few years with “The Old Way” and “Butcher’s Crossing,” Nicolas Cage is doubling down on the genre, having teamed up with Heather Graham (“The Hangover”) and Stephen Dorff (“True Detective”) for “The Gunslingers.”
Costas Mandylor (“Saw”), Scarlet Stallone (“Tulsa King”), Tzi Ma (“The Farewell”), and Randall Batinkoff (“Dead Man’s Hand”) also star in the film, which is being launched in Cannes with Brilliant Pictures handling international sales. Grindstone has U.S. rights to the film.
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Written and directed by prolific genre filmmaker Brian Skiba (“The 2nd,” “Dead Man’s Hand”), “The Gunslingers” is set in a rugged town named Redemption. Reformed gunslinger, Thomas Keller (Dorff) and mad genius Ben (Cage) are guided by spiritual leader Jericho (Mandylor) as they strive for vindication. Confronting his violent history, a brutal bar fight and deadly feud reignites between Thomas, Ben and the notorious Five Points Gang. Now baptised and reborn, Thomas grapples with fresh challenges, testing his newfound peace amidst a town steeped in secrets, violence, and a relentless quest for revenge.
Currently in post-production, “The Gunslingers” is produced by Batinkoff, Laurie Love (“The 2nd,” Dead Man’s Hand”), and Skiba. Executive producers include Brilliant Pictures Sean O’Kelly (“Deep Fear,” “Damascus Cover”) and Marc Bikindou (“Black Dahlia,” “Deception”), together with Jad Ben Ammar (“Sisters in Arms,” “Out of Nowhere”), Michael Tadross Jr., ZTA Entertainment’s David Wolkoff and Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, Milestone Entertainment’s Alan B. Bursteen, Dawn Bursteen, and Grindstone’s Barry Brooker and Stan Wertlieb.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of what I believe will go down as a classic Western,” said producer and Aarimax Films CEO Batinkoff. “Stephen, Heather, and Nick, deliver original and powerful performances, along with the rest of our stellar cast, that I can’t wait for audiences all over the world to enjoy.”
Added Brilliant Pictures CEO Marc Bikindou: “The moment I read this script I knew it would feed perfectly into the genre projects the market is looking for right now. Westerns are seeing something of a comeback, fuelled by recent smash hit series such as Yellowstone. We are thrilled to be working alongside such a talented team and excited to bring this to market.”
Grindstone Entertainment CEO Barry Brooker said: “Brian’s smart and action-packed Western is going to keep audiences riveted. With a top cast led by Stephen, Heather, and Nick, we’re excited to be presenting it to audiences.”
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