The Rover is one of the most anticipated movie releases of 2021. Directed by James Marsden and produced by Legendary Pictures, the movie revolves around a legendary horse named Turof. After being held captive by drug smugglers for seven years, Turof is finally let loose to roam the open country. With the help of a young tracker named Amigo, Turof sets out to prove himself to be the best horse in the world and to seek redemption for his misdeeds. While the movie is based on the real-life account of Rustic Canyon, a notorious horse rustling gang from the American Old West, The Rover also has a fictitious narrative that explores the American Frontier experience in the 1800s. The movie is set to premiere in theaters across the country on January 13, 2021.
The Trailer
Check out the latest trailer for The Rover below and see what all the fuss is about!
The trailer begins with a short introduction to the movie. We see James Marsden as the movie’s main protagonist, Richard Stratton. Stratton is shown to be a horse trader in the 1800s. In the early 1900s, the horse trade becomes scarce and people turn to train hopping to make a living. Stratton decides to become a bounty hunter in order to track down and capture horse thieves. We also learn at the end of the trailer that Richard Stratton is the same character from the 1951 Mitchum film, Untamed. In that film, Richard Stratton was portrayed by Robert Mitchum and a Native American maiden named Jane Russell played his love interest. It would appear that the role of the cowboy hero was originally intended for James Marsden before he agreed to play Richard Stratton. While Untamed was primarily seen as a Western, The Rover is being marketed as a “character-driven action-adventure” movie.
The Cast
The cast of The Rover is led by Robert Pattinson, who plays the legendary American horse, Turof. Pattinson is best known for his role as Edward Cullen in the Twilight franchise, which made him a household name throughout the 2010s. He will next be seen in the upcoming Disney + streaming series, The Mandalorian. Along with Pattinson, the film also stars Tom Hardy, William Fichtner, Scoot McNairy, Benicio del Toro, and more!
Production
Legendary Pictures’ chief of production, Thomas Tull, took to Twitter to share some insight into how the movie came to be.
“Robert Pattinson and I went back to the drawing board on this one. He was adamant from the beginning that he didn’t want a typical Western and refused to take a conventional route with his character. So we spent a lot of time coming up with creative ways to push the boundaries of what a ‘Horse Opera’ could be. It was incredibly fun to collaborate with him and watch him bring the character to life.”, Tull wrote.
It’s not often that an actor gets a say in the casting of their character, but it appears that Robert Pattinson was quite involved in the casting and creation of his character, Turof, and wasn’t just doing his usual portrayal of a famous person. Hopefully, as the movie nears its premiere date, we’ll get to see more on Pattinson’s Twitter.
The Making Of
Here’s a look behind the scenes of The Rover, from conception to the final product!
The film was originally titled “The Stolen Horse,” which is where the fictional narrative begins. The director, James Marsden, took to Instagram to reveal some details about the making of the movie. Marsden, who also plays one of the lead characters, Stratton, shared some initial inspiration for the project. “I knew I wanted to make a western movie but I didn’t know what kind,” Marsden said. “Then it occurred to me that Turof was a real-life steed that got loose and had to be tracked down. So I researched the hell out of that, and that’s when I found out what kind of western I wanted to make: a character-driven action-adventure, in the style of a classic John Ford film.”
Marsden continued, “The research was incredibly fascinating. The way horses were transported in those days, the cruelty endured by the early settlers, the corruption and bribery that went on. It’s a dark, fascinating story that I think will surprise and delight audiences.”
One of the interesting things about The Rover is that it will explore the darker elements that existed in the American West during the 1800s. Some research material for the movie actually came from Marsden’s own family history. His great uncle, Edward Marsden, was one of the leaders of a notorious horse rustling gang known as the Rustic Canyon Horse Thieves. The clan’s fame even extended beyond the American frontier and into Ireland, where a Robert Pattinson museum was named after Edward Marsden. The film’s tagline is “Remember the Alamo, but in reverse.” While many may wonder what the connection between the Alamo and a horse stealing gang is, Marsden revealed that the phrase was actually used by Edward Marsden and it refers to how the Rustic Canyon Horses became famous for their skill in escaping captivity. As Marsden notes, “The Alamo was the scene of a turning point in American history. It was here that the rebels defeated the Mexican forces that were trying to enslave them. But these famous horses were the product of even more corruption and brutality. They were raised not for ranching or riding, but to be stolen and used as bait in the trap that would ensnare and exploit the American Frontier.”
Release Date
After much anticipation, the release date for The Rover has finally been set! The critically acclaimed Western movie will be released on January 13, 2021, a week before Valentine’s Day. You’ll be able to see Robert Pattinson as Turof on the big screen next year. This will be one of the most anticipated movies of 2021 and it will be interesting to see how critics and audiences react to this epic tale of American history.
However, as we’ve come to expect with Netflix and other streaming services, the film will be made available for streaming on demand at the same time as it’s theatrical debut. This allows viewers who miss out on the opportunity to see the film at a theater near them to catch up on the action. In the meantime, we can enjoy watching Netflix’s lavish production of Queen for ourselves. Let the games begin!