Cowboy: Release date, plot, cast, and more about the upcoming rodeo drama film

Cowboy is an upcoming rodeo drama film that starts production on June 25, 2025. It will be directed by Cameron Duddy, who makes his feature directorial debut with this project.

Before this, Duddy worked extensively on music videos for artists like Bruno Mars, John Mayer, Britney Spears, Rita Ora, One Republic, and more. He has also earned two Grammy nominations for his country music group Midland's song, Drinkin' Problem. Cowboy is based on a story by him and another member of his group, Jess Carson.

The film marks the first project from Paint Horse Pictures from Nashville, which will reportedly focus on groundbreaking stories rooted in Americana. The cast revealed so far includes Ben Foster, Rudy Pankow, and Gabriel Basso.

Does Cowboy have a release date?

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This Cameron Duddy directorial has just commenced filming, as reported by Deadline. Cowboy currently doesn't have a release date. UTA Independent Film Group and Range Select represent its global rights.

Lucas Smith is producing this project on behalf of Endgame with Ian Bryce, William Lowery, and Matt Graham from Ian Bryce Productions. The film's star Ben Foster will be one of the executive producers for this rodeo drama alongside Shawn Williamson (Brightlight Productions), Sydney Allen (Paint Horse), Jordan Yospe and David Keinath (DFA Entertainment), and James D. Stern (Endgame).

What is Cowboy about? Here's what we know so far

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Adair Cole has written the screenplay for Cowboy based on a story by Jess Carson and director Cameron Duddy. Its official plot synopsis, per Deadline, reads:

"Set against the backdrop of the traveling rodeo circuit, Cowboy follows a ragtag group of bull riders, barrel racers, and pickup men as they chase fleeting glory beneath the glow of arena lights, under the neon haze of roadside bars, and behind the twin beams of car light leading them into the night. It’s dusty, dangerous, and deeply human."

Before this, Cole worked on the 2018 western thriller, Lawless Range. As the film enters production, director Cameron Duddy shares what gravitated him towards this rodeo drama film and how he is planning to bring his and Carson's script to life. He said:

“This is a personal story for me. It’s a film about what it takes to grind it out on the road chasing your dreams, and the emotional and physical toll it takes on all of us, most of all the people we love. The film is a raw and honest look at the rodeo world built from the dust-up — it’s about grit, humility, integrity, freedom … 1,800 pounds of rough stock at a time.”

Based on his comments, the plot of Cowboy sounds like an intimate, grounded film set in the contemporary Western genre, similar to Chloé Zhao's The Rider (2017) and Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre's The Mustang (2019).