Despite the general perception that the genre died in the 1960s – due to network changes, pressure from parental groups, and over-saturation – the Western genre is hanging on by the saddle in the 2020s. While it is nowhere near the heights of the golden age of the genre, found from the 1940s to 1960s, modern Westerns still perform relatively well at the box office and even better within the critical landscape.
The last few years have revived the genre somewhat, thanks to the success of The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, The Power of the Dog, and even Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. As a result, studios have begun funding a plethora of westerns, with some of the most promising scheduled for this coming year. Here are 10 upcoming Westerns we at MovieWeb are really excited about.
10 Billy the Kid Biopic
Biopics are the new trend in Hollywood, and this list will stand as a testament to that statement. One of the most promising westerns of 2024 is the planned Billy the Kid biopic, with Barry Keoghan set to star as the titular gunslinger. The project is written by Hunter Andrews, with Ed Guiney, who previously worked on Killing of the Sacred Deer (alongside Keoghan) producing.
A New Take on the Legend
Keoghan has long been vocal about his passion for the upcoming movie. This partly stems from his personal ties to the historical figure, with both men being born in Ireland and both having lost their mothers at a young age. The new biopic will look at the legendary outlaw in a new light. In an interview with Deadline, Keoghan said,
“I wanted to step outside of the legend that was built up by the papers and tackle the pressure he must have felt from those early days. He was running his whole life. I felt related to Billy in the sense of him being a mummy’s boy, but obviously, I took a different path, turning my circumstances into something positive rather than rebelling against them.”
The biopic has yet to have a definite release date but is expected to be released sometime in late 2024.
9 Blood Meridian
Potentially the most popular upcoming Western of 2024, John Hillcoat is set to direct an adaptation of Blood Meridian, Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The film will mark the second of McCarthy’s Western novels to be adapted to the big screen, with the Coen Brothers transforming No Country for Old Men into a thrilling neo-western back in 2007. Hillcoat has previously worked from McCarthy’s body of work, adapting his classic, post-apocalyptic tale, The Road, into a BAFTA-nominated feature film in 2009.
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A Dark and Violent Tale
The upcoming adaptation is set to embody McCarthy’s signature bleak, macabre tone. The novel tells the story of the 14-year-old Kid, who finds himself entrapped in the Westward expansion of the 1850s, where Native Americans are being murdered for their scalps. Little news has been shared about the upcoming adaptation, especially since the sad passing of McCarthy in June 2023. However, the movie is still in production, with a release date expected to be sometime in 2024.
8 Cottonmouth
An original story (not based on true events or a novel) is a rarity in the Western genre. However, director Brock Harris is doing just that in his upcoming movie Cottonmouth. Unlike the above two movies, Cottonmouth has had a lot more information announced. The most notable aspect of the project is its impressive cast. Martin Sensmeier of Westworld fame is set to star in the movie, with Ron Perlman, Esai Morales, Eric Nelsen, and Jonathan Sadowski making up the strong supporting cast.
A Classic Story of Rivalry in the West
Cottonmouth appears to be taking its narrative inspiration from the great tales of revenge and rivalry. After forming a rivalry over the local saloon owner, Ed is captured by a bounty hunter and shipped off to a cruel prison under the guard of Perlman’s torturous warden. While incarcerated, Ed makes it his mission to escape and exact bitter revenge on his rival.
7 Eddington
If you enjoy Ari Aster films and love Joaquin Phoenix’s partnership with the director in Beau Is Afraid, then prepare for the duo to make their leap to the Western genre. Set hundreds of years after the expansion of the frontier, 2020 to be exact, Eddington is an original neo-western and is said to be a passion project for Aster. In an AMA on Reddit, Aster spoke about Eddington when discussing his debut feature, Midsommar. Aster claimed he was torn between producing Midsommar or Eddington as his debut film, meaning the modern Western has been on the production table for over five years.
A Dark, Western Comedy
Knowing Aster’s style, Eddington will likely be a darkly comedic twist on the typical tropes of the Western genre. The movie centers on a couple driving through New Mexico to Los Angeles when they run out of gas in a small town called Eddington. Unable to find help, the isolated town soon becomes a living nightmare as day turns to night, and the couple is trapped.
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6 Hardin
Another biopic, Hardin, will focus on the real-life story of the famous outlaw John Wesley Hardin. Hardin is one of the most famous outlaws from the mid-1800s, having killed his first man at 15, and was rumored to have shot 21 people in the span of 9 years. Hardin’s life has previously been told on the big screen. In 2015, director Bob Misiorowski directed the biopic, with The Karate Kid star Martin Kove portraying the infamous gunslinger.
A Story Under Tight Wraps
Unlike the other movies on this list, little information about the upcoming Hardin biopic has been released. The only public information is that the film is currently scheduled to be released sometime in late 2024.
5 Horizon: An American Saga
Horizon: An American Saga is set to be one of the most ambitious Western franchises in modern cinema. Directed by Yellowstone star Kevin Costner, Horizon is a long-time passion project for Costner, who has reportedly invested a large sum of his own money to get the project off the ground. One of the most promising aspects of Horizon is its amazing cast. Alongside Costner (who is directing and starring in the project), Horizon will also feature the likes of Sam Worthington, Jena Malone, Sienna Miler, Abbey Lee, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Rooker, and Danny Huston.
The Start of a Franchise
Horizon is set to be the first in at least a two-part saga. The franchise will explore a portion of American history over 15 years, set before and after the Civil War. The first and second parts are reported to already be complete, with Horizon: An American Saga set to hit theaters on June 28, 2024.
4 The Harder They Fall 2
As the genre has become less mainstream in modern times, fewer studios are green-lighting sequels to new Westerns. However, Netflix is breaking the trend and producing a follow-up film to their 2021 hit with The Harder They Fall 2. The first movie was an original story inspired by real African-American figures from the time period.
Still Proceeding Despite Complications
The sequel was initially announced by director Jeymes Samuel in response to a fan’s query. However, the project has recently been hit by the controversy surrounding its lead, Jonathan Majors, and the verdict following his trial. Currently, Netflix hasn’t announced that the project has been shelved, leading many to believe the new film will write out Majors’s character. No release date has yet been confirmed.
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3 Outlaw Posse
Directed and starring Mario Van Peebles, Outlaw Posse is an upcoming R-rated Western with an impressive cast. Alongside Van Peebles, Outlaw Posse stars Whoopi Goldberg, Neal McDonough, Cam Gigandet, John Carroll Lynch, and Edward James Olmos. The movie has been described as a violent chase inspired by classics of the genre like The Magnificent 7.
A Contemporary Take on Classic Tropes
Outlaw Posse follows Chief, played by Van Peebles, as he journeys to gather a team of old and new friends to hunt gold in hostile territory. The whole time, Chief is being closely pursued by Angel, a Civil War veteran turned lawman on a personal revenge mission.
2 Rust
Rust is perhaps the most famous movie on the list, for the wrong reasons. Following an on-set incident that resulted in the tragic passing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, Rust is, surprisingly, still set to be released in 2024. The court case involving David Halls and Alec Baldwin is still ongoing, with the involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin having recently been refiled.
Rust Is Still Being Released
Alec Baldwin returned to set in mid-2023 to finish shooting the movie, which has now wrapped production. Rust follows a 13-year-old boy in 1880s Kansas who is left to look after himself and his young brother after the death of their parents. Their fight for survival leads them to go on the run with their long-estranged grandfather following his death sentence for the accidental murder of a local rancher.
1 The Dead Don’t Hurt
2024’s slate of Westerns has featured some incredibly high-profile names, and The Dead Don’t Hurt may top them all. The upcoming Western is directed by Lord of the Rings icon Viggo Mortinson, who also stars in the project. The movie also stars Vicky Krieps, Solly McLeod, Garret Dillahunt, W. Earl Brown, Danny Huston, and Shane Graham. Set during the 1860s, The Dead Don’t Hurt is an intimate tale that focuses on the blossoming relationship between French Canadian Vivienne and Danish immigrant Holger.
Solid Reviews From Film Festivals
The Dead Don’t Hurt had its premiere at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival, where it received excellent reviews from critics. The film is expected to receive a wider cinematic release in 2024 following its positive critical reception on the festival circuit. However, no release date has been finalized yet.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
