Given that the names involved are among the most high profile currently working in Hollywood, it seems surprising that Comancheria has so far kept itself off the radar. Impressive though that is, anticipation for this heist movie is growing, now that news of the production has broken. The reason for that excitement is the cast and creators: Chris Pine, Ben Foster and Jeff Bridges in front of the camera, with writer Taylor Sheridan and director David Mackenzie behind it. Apparently, cameras began rolling in late May, on a script that made the Black List in 2012.
“Two brothers, one an ex-con and the other a divorced father of two kids, face the foreclosure of their family’s West Texas farm. They team for a skilfully calculated bank robbery spree that puts them on a collision course with two Texas Rangers determined to bring them down.”
If we really must have yet another testosterone-soaked heist movie, this is definitely the cast to hire. Chris Pine brings with him blockbuster cache as the star of the rebooted Star Trek franchise, as well as being newly cast as Steve Trevor in Wonder Woman. Ben Foster is riding a wave of critical adulation, following impressive turns in Lone Survivor, Kill Your Darlings and the upcoming The Program, in which he plays controversial competitive cyclist, Lance Armstrong. Both Pine and Foster also appear together in the forthcoming drama The Finest Hours.
The legendary Jeff Bridges needs no introduction, and it is undoubtedly adding to the anticipation for Comancheria that the Academy Award winner is reported to be in the role of one of the Texas Rangers in pursuit of the brothers, played by Pine and Foster. That leaves one more Texas Ranger role to be filled, and it is rumoured that Mike & Molly star Katy Mixon will do so, to bring a little estrogen to the proceedings.
While director David Mackenzie has a lot of momentum behind him, after helming films such as Hallam Foe and Starred Up, it is the writer Taylor Sheridan that draws the most attention. He is the talent behind the screenplay for the film Sicario, which is currently earning rave early reviews. That story is also focused on the pursuit of criminals by law enforcement officials and, as such, it is impossible not to draw comparisons between the two projects. With a cast that is renowned as much for comedy as for drama, however, it may well be that Comancheria proves to be somewhat lighter in tone.