05/20/2025
From the director of Fried Green Tomatoes and Up Close & Personal, and featuring the actors Neal McDonough (Yellowstone, The Tulsa King), Mykelti Williamson (Forrest Gump, Chicago P.D.), Sarah Jones (For All Mankind, Texas Rising), and PBR Champion Daylon Swearingen, comes a film from Angel Studios showing the true grit of being a professional bull rider. Director Jon Avnet, Actor Neal McDonough, and Fort Worth native Derek Presley wrote the film.
At its core, “The Last Rodeo” isn’t about riding bulls. It’s a story about a retired cowboy and a grandfather fighting for his grandson, who is diagnosed with a tumor that requires risky and expensive medical care. Returning to his saddle, he enters a high-stakes bull-riding competition as the oldest contestant ever. Along the way, he reconciles old wounds with his estranged daughter, proving that true courage is found in the fight for family.
At the AMC Dine-In Clearfork 8 theater premiere, it was comforting how humble the entire affair felt. There were no screaming paparazzi, no designer drama, just filmmakers, cowboys, and fans talking about life, pain, prayer, and second chances. The Texas spirit of cooperation was extended to me when Jeanette Masters, the executive assistant to the Chief Executive Officer, allowed me to photograph the red carpet event while also being an Angel Studios guild member and a participant in the film premiere event.
The film opens up in theaters on Friday, May 23. Here are pictures from the Monday, May 12th movie premiere events.
https://www.angel.com/tickets/last-rodeo?utm_campaign=the-last-rodeo-tickets-promo&utm_medium=angel-promos&utm_source=qr-code&utm_term=the-last-rodeo