Josh Holloway is lined up to star in a new Western epic. Flint, which is based on the novel by Louis L’Amour, is scheduled to begin next year. New Mexico is the filming destination, and comes ahead of Holloway’s new series, Duster. Directing the movie is Ryan Whitaker, who is known for his film Surprised by Oxford.
A Renewed Appetite for Western Dramas
Over the years, we have seen a spike in Western dramas. High-budget television shows like Yellowstone, and the prequels 1883 and 1923 have helped a lot here, with audiences across the world tuning in.Â
Movies like Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga have also helped to spur interest in Western content. Huge directors like Martin Scorsese have also put the spotlight on Westerns, with Killers of the Flower Moon. Podcasts have also soared in popularity, with Legends of the Old West being a top-rated choice.Â
Even iGaming has embraced Western aesthetics. At the Sky Vegas online casino, there are titles like Dead or Alive 3: Wanted, as well as Rodeo Grand. Both of these lean into western iconography, with outlaw narratives, saloon shootouts, and horseback riding. Examples like this show how the demand for Western content is on the rise, and how Ryan Whitaker’s new movie makes perfect sense right now.
Some details of the plot have been announced as well. We know that it focuses on a character called James Kettleman, who is a businessman from the East Coast. He visits the New Mexico frontier, and here, he takes on a new name, “Flint”. The name is a nod to the outlaw who helped raise him, but when he encounters a rancher, Nancy Kennigan, he’s forced to consider the man he wants to be.Â
Holloway is Also Working as the Producer for the Movie
Holloway isn’t just starring in the film; he is also producing it. He’s going to be working alongside Beau L’Amour, the author’s son. He will also work with Ken Carpenter, Jerilyn Esquibel, and Mark Pentecost.Â
Tirian Films is backing the production, and UTA Independent Film Group is going to be handling the movie and the North American sales. Holloway has said in a recent interview that he’s spent two decades working with Beau L’Amour to bring the story to life, and that he’s called the movie a very personal milestone. Holloway, who is known for his role in Lost, has united with Abrams once again in his series Duster. He’s also worked on Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.
Holloway is set to play the role of a morally complex protagonist very well, and if you look at the current trajectory that the Western genre is undertaking right now, it’s not hard to see that this movie could well be as bloody and as dramatic as series like Yellowstone have been. After all, as time goes on, more and more directors are exploring alternative ways to explore the Wild West, so it may be that a completely different route is taken that blazes a new path for Western epics.
