EXCLUSIVE: Angel Studios, the crowdfunding studio behind titles like Sound of Freedom and The Chosen, is set to release The Last Rodeo, a new bull riding drama co-written, produced by and starring Neal McDonough (Band of Brothers), for Memorial Day weekend on May 23, 2025.
Directed by Jon Avnet (Fried Green Tomatoes) from his script written with McDonough and Derek Presley (Boon), The Last Rodeo‘s cast also includes Mykelti Williamson (Forrest Gump), Christopher McDonald (Hacks), Sarah Jones (For All Mankind), and Professional Bull Riding Champion Daylon Swearingen.
Neal and Ruvé McDonough
Catherine McDonough
Pic shares the story of Joe Wainwright (McDonough), an aging retired champion bull rider, and his daughter Sally (Jones), who face a crisis that can only be solved by Joe entering and winning a bull riding competition. Joe must connect with a bull fighter and his estranged best friend of many years, Charlie Williams (Williamson), to enter the legends contest as the oldest contestant in history. Despite strained relations with his strong-willed daughter, he must confront his demons and consider the greatest sacrifice for his family.
Explained McDonough, “Joe Wainwright is on a journey from America’s heartland into the hearts and souls of everyone who’s ever loved their family so much they struggled for the words to express it properly. This film has an incredible heart with a universal message of love, vulnerability, and reconciliation that the world so desperately needs right now. And my frequent collaborator and friend Jon Avnet is the director who could best bring this story to audiences around the world.”
Filmed in collaboration with the Professional Bull Riding Association, the project was financed by Unity Productions, Roman Capital Investments, and private equity partner Liam Griffin, with Ruvé and Neal McDonough producing alongside Avnet and Kip Konwiser (Outlaw Posse). It’s the third on which Angel Studios has partnered with Neal and Ruvé’s The McDonough Company on the heels of the 2023 sci-fi thriller The Shift and the post-apocalyptic drama Homestead, coming up for release on December 20.
Stated Jordan Harmon, President of Angel Studios, “Neal and Ruvé McDonough have been invaluable partners with Angel Studios this past year, and the Angel Guild’s enthusiastic response to their project The Last Rodeo has been remarkable. Director Jon Avnet’s vision and execution of the film is nothing short of exceptional. The Angel Guild consistently champions projects that inspire hope and healing, and we believe this film will significantly advance our mission to illuminate stories in a profound and impactful way.”