Clint Eastwood Returns To Playing A Cowboy For His New Movie, Plus He Has A Pet Rooster

Get your first look at the new Clint Eastwood movie.

By Charlene Badasie | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

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He may be 91 years old but Clint Eastwood is still a cowboy at heart. The legendary actor is getting back in the saddle for his upcoming movie Cry Macho, a Western drama set in 1979. Based on N. Richard Nash’s 1975 novel of the same name, the project was stuck in a development vortex for years.

But it finally got off the ground in 2020, with Clint Eastwood taking on directing and producing duties as well. Principal photography began last November in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Filming in the state moved to Socorro County on November 16 and concluded on November 30, 2020.

The first look images from Cry Macho (via Entertainment Weekly) are pretty cool, with Clint Eastwood looking as dapper as ever. And by the looks of it, his weary character has an unusual companion – a pet rooster! “This macho thing is overrated,” he says in the trailer. “Just people trying to be macho to show that they’ve got grit. That’s about all they end up with.”

Clint Eastwood in Cry Macho via Entertainment Weekly

Cry Macho tells the story of Mike Milo (Clint Eastwood), a one-time rodeo star and washed-up horse breeder who takes a job from an ex-boss to bring the man’s young son home from Mexico. Forced to take the back roads on their way to Texas, the unlikely pair faces a challenging journey. Along the way, the world-weary horseman finds unexpected connections and his own sense of redemption.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly about the movie, Clint Eastwood described his character as a man who’s been through some hard times in his life. And unfortunately, another unexpected challenge is brought to the foreground. “He would normally never do it but he is a man of his word. He follows through. And it starts his life over again,” the actor told the publication.

Clint Eastwood directed the film from a screenplay by Richard Nash and Nick Schenk. The Oscar-winning filmmaker previously worked with the duo on his 2008 hit Gran Torino and his 2018 crime drama The Mule. He will be producing the movie alongside Albert S. Ruddy, Tim Moore, and Jessica Meier.

Starring alongside Clint Eastwood is Eduardo Minett as Rafael “Rafo” Polk, Natalia Traven as Marta, Dwight Yoakam as Howard Polk, Fernanda Urrejola as Leta, Horacio Garcia Rojas as Aurelio, and Ana Rey as Senora Reyes. Alexandra Ruddy and Paul Lincoln Alayo round out the cast.

Interestingly, Nash originally wrote the Cry Macho as a screenplay but it was rejected by 20th Century Fox twice. This prompted him to turn his story into a book, before trying to sell the script multiple times to various studios. The various adaptations saw a multitude of actors in talks to lead the film. Roy Scheider, Burt Lancaster, Pierce Brosnan, Arnold Schwarzenegger were all in the running before Clint Eastwood decided to star in it himself.

Cry Macho opens in cinemas on September 17th. The movie will then be available on HBO Max for 31 days from the theatrical release.