Bert Marcus, founder and CEO of Bert Marcus Productions, has signed with Range Media Partners. Marcus will be represented by a core team consisting of Matt Graham, Cj Cook, Tyler Henry, Ben Grayson and Rich Cook.
“Bert is a creative engine, his mind works at a million miles an hour,” Graham, Range Media Partners’ co-founder and managing partner, said announcing the signing. “He is always finding the most interesting way into a world as a storyteller which is what has made his films so sticky. We believe his creativity, experience and resources are a force multiplier for us on the unscripted side of our business. We are beyond thrilled to collaborate with such a talent.”
Bert Marcus Productions creates and oversees unscripted feature film and television content, while Bert Marcus Film is the company’s scripted feature film and television arm, working toward the company’s overall mission to “craft distinctive,...
“Bert is a creative engine, his mind works at a million miles an hour,” Graham, Range Media Partners’ co-founder and managing partner, said announcing the signing. “He is always finding the most interesting way into a world as a storyteller which is what has made his films so sticky. We believe his creativity, experience and resources are a force multiplier for us on the unscripted side of our business. We are beyond thrilled to collaborate with such a talent.”
Bert Marcus Productions creates and oversees unscripted feature film and television content, while Bert Marcus Film is the company’s scripted feature film and television arm, working toward the company’s overall mission to “craft distinctive,...
- 7/14/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
In North Philadelphia, you are likely to see horses. More than likely, in fact: Go by the Fletcher Street stables, located in the middle of a string of residential houses and lots, during the daytime and you’ll catch those magnificent animals milling about near street corners and being trotted along the small patch of grass on the other side of the block. Head down there just after dusk and you’ll see cowboys. Real, honest-to-God cowboys, all black men and women, sitting around a version of a campfire. Some are drinking beer,...
- 4/2/2021
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Writer-director Emma Seligman brings her feature Shiva Baby to theaters and Tvod starting today — and it is quite a comedic ride.
Released by Utopia, Shiva Baby follows a young woman who is trying to keep the different versions of herself in order when she runs into her sugar daddy and her ex-girlfriend at a shiva with her parents.
Let’s elaborate on all of that.
Danielle (Rachel Sennott) is a college student on the verge of graduation. She has a sugar daddy Max (Danny Deferrari) that pays her on a regular basis. One day, after rushing from her sugar daddy to her neurotic parents’ family shiva, she is given the third degree by various estranged relatives about her appearance and lack of post-grad plans. Meanwhile, her ex-girlfriend, Maya (Molly Gordon) is getting all the praise because she got into law school.
Things take even more of a turn when her...
Released by Utopia, Shiva Baby follows a young woman who is trying to keep the different versions of herself in order when she runs into her sugar daddy and her ex-girlfriend at a shiva with her parents.
Let’s elaborate on all of that.
Danielle (Rachel Sennott) is a college student on the verge of graduation. She has a sugar daddy Max (Danny Deferrari) that pays her on a regular basis. One day, after rushing from her sugar daddy to her neurotic parents’ family shiva, she is given the third degree by various estranged relatives about her appearance and lack of post-grad plans. Meanwhile, her ex-girlfriend, Maya (Molly Gordon) is getting all the praise because she got into law school.
Things take even more of a turn when her...
- 4/2/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix has released the official trailer for the upcoming father-son drama “Concrete Cowboy,” which will begin streaming on April 2.
Inspired by the novel “Ghetto Cowboy” by G. Neri and the real-life Fletcher Street cowboys, the film follows a troubled teen (Caleb McLaughlin) who is caught between a life of crime and his estranged father’s (Idris Elba) vibrant urban-cowboy subculture in North Philadelphia. Jharrel Jerome, Byron Bowers, Lorraine Toussaint, Clifford “Method Man” Smith and members of the Fletcher Street Stables also co-star in the film.
The film first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. In an interview during the festival, Elba told Variety that the history around Black cowboys has been misconstrued for a long time.
“It feels really apt to be able to tell a part history that’s been definitely buried, and in the case of ‘Concrete Cowboy,’ that history is right now,” Elba said.
Inspired by the novel “Ghetto Cowboy” by G. Neri and the real-life Fletcher Street cowboys, the film follows a troubled teen (Caleb McLaughlin) who is caught between a life of crime and his estranged father’s (Idris Elba) vibrant urban-cowboy subculture in North Philadelphia. Jharrel Jerome, Byron Bowers, Lorraine Toussaint, Clifford “Method Man” Smith and members of the Fletcher Street Stables also co-star in the film.
The film first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. In an interview during the festival, Elba told Variety that the history around Black cowboys has been misconstrued for a long time.
“It feels really apt to be able to tell a part history that’s been definitely buried, and in the case of ‘Concrete Cowboy,’ that history is right now,” Elba said.
- 3/16/2021
- by Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall, Ricky Staub’s Concrete Cowboy follows fifteen-year-old Cole (Caleb McLaughlin), who gets expelled from school in Detroit and is sent to North Philadelphia to live with Harp (Idris Elba), his estranged father. Together, they spend time rehabilitating horses for inner-city cowboys at the Fletcher Street Stables, a real-life black urban horsemanship community. Inspired by the novel “Ghetto Cowboy” by G. Neri, Netflix picked up the film and ahead of an April 2 debut, the first trailer and poster have arrived.
Christopher Schobert said in his review, “Staub proves he is capable of creating moments of real visual splendor—a shot of Elba and his cohorts galloping down city streets is stunning. And Staub draws a powerful lead performance from McLaughlin as Cole, the aforementioned troubled teen. His father is well-played by Elba, but it is a poorly written role and this is McLaughlin’s show,...
Christopher Schobert said in his review, “Staub proves he is capable of creating moments of real visual splendor—a shot of Elba and his cohorts galloping down city streets is stunning. And Staub draws a powerful lead performance from McLaughlin as Cole, the aforementioned troubled teen. His father is well-played by Elba, but it is a poorly written role and this is McLaughlin’s show,...
- 3/16/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
"Only way you can realize its true spirit is through love." Netflix has unveiled an official trailer for an indie drama titled Concrete Cowboy, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year. Inspired by the novel "Ghetto Cowboy" by G. Neri, Concrete Cowboy is directed by first-time feature filmmaker Ricky Staub; and produced by Tucker Tooley, Lee Daniels, Idris Elba, Dan Walser, Jeff Waxman, Jennifer Madeloff. A teen discovers a world of urban horseback riding when he moves in with his estranged father in North Philly. Starring Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome, Byron Bowers, Lorraine Toussaint, and Clifford "Method Man" Smith. Along with members of the Fletcher Street Stables. It's a "moving father-son drama about a teen caught between a life of crime and his estranged father’s vibrant urban-cowboy subculture." This is a fantastic trailer, with an exceptional performance from McLaughlin as the young Cole. Here's the...
- 3/16/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Ricky Staub’s stirring father-son drama “Concrete Drama,” in which Idris Elba plays a father struggling to reconnect with his estranged son, first premiered way back at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. The movie also would’ve played Telluride in 2020 had that festival not been canceled. It’s finally coming to Netflix on April 2, and the streaming giant has debuted the official trailer ahead of its debut.
Netflix’s official synopsis for “Concrete Cowboy” reads: “When 15-year-old Cole (‘Stranger Things’ actor Caleb McLaughlin) is expelled from school in Detroit, he is sent to North Philadelphia to live with Harp (Idris Elba), his estranged father. Harp finds solace in rehabilitating horses for inner city cowboys at the Fletcher Street Stables, a real-life black urban horsemanship community that has provided a safe haven for the neighborhood residents for more than 100 years. Torn between his growing respect for his father’s...
Netflix’s official synopsis for “Concrete Cowboy” reads: “When 15-year-old Cole (‘Stranger Things’ actor Caleb McLaughlin) is expelled from school in Detroit, he is sent to North Philadelphia to live with Harp (Idris Elba), his estranged father. Harp finds solace in rehabilitating horses for inner city cowboys at the Fletcher Street Stables, a real-life black urban horsemanship community that has provided a safe haven for the neighborhood residents for more than 100 years. Torn between his growing respect for his father’s...
- 3/16/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
“Concrete Cowboy” director Ricky Staub is not a faith-based filmmaker per se, but he’s not afraid to admit that faith played a part in steering him toward his debut feature, or in his decision to create Neighborhood Film Co., the production company that made it possible.
Staub wrote his first script when he was 10 years old, and learned the ropes by volunteering to work on any set that would take him. After moving to Los Angeles, he was hired as an assistant to Sam Mercer, following the producer to Philadelphia on M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Last Airbender.”
“In my mid-20s, I started asking pretty heavy questions like, ‘Why am I alive? … If there is a God, what does that mean to my life?’” recalls Staub, whose lightbulb moment came after meeting a homeless man who’d been formerly incarcerated. “Literally, like in a movie, I was lying...
Staub wrote his first script when he was 10 years old, and learned the ropes by volunteering to work on any set that would take him. After moving to Los Angeles, he was hired as an assistant to Sam Mercer, following the producer to Philadelphia on M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Last Airbender.”
“In my mid-20s, I started asking pretty heavy questions like, ‘Why am I alive? … If there is a God, what does that mean to my life?’” recalls Staub, whose lightbulb moment came after meeting a homeless man who’d been formerly incarcerated. “Literally, like in a movie, I was lying...
- 2/25/2021
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Range Media Partners, a new management firm staffed with veteran Hollywood agents, has announced a slew of filmmaker signings.
Tim Van Patten, the Emmy Award-winning director, writer and creator behind shows like “The Sopranos,” “Boardwalk Empire” and the recent HBO hit “Perry Mason,” has joined the firm.
Van Patten is joined by Swedish-born Niclas Larsson, an award-winning commercial director and writer who also helmed the whimsical two-part Vogue series “The Magic Diner,” featuring Oscar winner Alicia Vikander and Anna Wintour.
Ricky Staub and Dan Walser, the creative team behind “Concrete Cowboy,” are also on board. The official TIFF selection stars Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin, and was purchased by Netflix following its festival premiere. The pair operate through their production company Neighborhood Films, which counts an apprenticeship program that recruits the formerly incarcerated to help them develop a versatile skill set that they can parlay into future opportunities.
Also on deck is Corin Hardy,...
Tim Van Patten, the Emmy Award-winning director, writer and creator behind shows like “The Sopranos,” “Boardwalk Empire” and the recent HBO hit “Perry Mason,” has joined the firm.
Van Patten is joined by Swedish-born Niclas Larsson, an award-winning commercial director and writer who also helmed the whimsical two-part Vogue series “The Magic Diner,” featuring Oscar winner Alicia Vikander and Anna Wintour.
Ricky Staub and Dan Walser, the creative team behind “Concrete Cowboy,” are also on board. The official TIFF selection stars Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin, and was purchased by Netflix following its festival premiere. The pair operate through their production company Neighborhood Films, which counts an apprenticeship program that recruits the formerly incarcerated to help them develop a versatile skill set that they can parlay into future opportunities.
Also on deck is Corin Hardy,...
- 12/8/2020
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Range Media Partners has strengthened its filmmaker roster, signing Tim Van Patten, Niclas Larsson, Ricky Staub & Dan Walser, Corin Hardy and Cédric Jimenez.
Van Patten is the Emmy-winning director, creator/writer whose credits include Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos and most recently Perry Mason.
Larsson is an award winning commercial director/writer; Staub and Walser are the creative duo behind Concrete Cowboy, which they wrote and Staub directed. Pic premiered at virtual Toronto and stars Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin.
Hardy is a filmmaker, illustrator, sculptor and writer whose credits include The Hallow, The Nun, and Gangs Of London. Jimenez is the French producer, director and writer behind The Connection, The Man With The Iron Heart, and Stronghold, which makes its debut on Netflix this Christmas.
The filmmakers stay with their agencies: Van Patten is repped by CAA; Larsson is UTA, attorney Warren Dern and commercial agent Mjz; Hardy is WME...
Van Patten is the Emmy-winning director, creator/writer whose credits include Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos and most recently Perry Mason.
Larsson is an award winning commercial director/writer; Staub and Walser are the creative duo behind Concrete Cowboy, which they wrote and Staub directed. Pic premiered at virtual Toronto and stars Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin.
Hardy is a filmmaker, illustrator, sculptor and writer whose credits include The Hallow, The Nun, and Gangs Of London. Jimenez is the French producer, director and writer behind The Connection, The Man With The Iron Heart, and Stronghold, which makes its debut on Netflix this Christmas.
The filmmakers stay with their agencies: Van Patten is repped by CAA; Larsson is UTA, attorney Warren Dern and commercial agent Mjz; Hardy is WME...
- 12/8/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Upstart management firm Range Media Partners has added several notable filmmakers to its roster.
Tim Van Patten, Niclas Larsson, Ricky Staub & Dan Walser, Corin Hardy and Cédric Jimenez have joined the company that was launched by a group of agents formerly of CAA, UTA and WME.
Van Patten is a key HBO director, having helmed episodes of The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire and most recently, Perry Mason.
Staub and Walser are the creative duo behind Toronto Film Festival sensation Concrete Cowboy, which starred Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin. Staub directed and co-wrote the drama with Walser. Their production company, Neighborhood Films,...
Tim Van Patten, Niclas Larsson, Ricky Staub & Dan Walser, Corin Hardy and Cédric Jimenez have joined the company that was launched by a group of agents formerly of CAA, UTA and WME.
Van Patten is a key HBO director, having helmed episodes of The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire and most recently, Perry Mason.
Staub and Walser are the creative duo behind Toronto Film Festival sensation Concrete Cowboy, which starred Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin. Staub directed and co-wrote the drama with Walser. Their production company, Neighborhood Films,...
- 12/8/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Upstart management firm Range Media Partners has added several notable filmmakers to its roster.
Tim Van Patten, Niclas Larsson, Ricky Staub & Dan Walser, Corin Hardy and Cédric Jimenez have joined the company that was launched by a group of agents formerly of CAA, UTA and WME.
Van Patten is a key HBO director, having helmed episodes of The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire and most recently, Perry Mason.
Staub and Walser are the creative duo behind Toronto Film Festival sensation Concrete Cowboy, which starred Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin. Staub directed and co-wrote the drama with Walser. Their production company, Neighborhood Films,...
Tim Van Patten, Niclas Larsson, Ricky Staub & Dan Walser, Corin Hardy and Cédric Jimenez have joined the company that was launched by a group of agents formerly of CAA, UTA and WME.
Van Patten is a key HBO director, having helmed episodes of The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire and most recently, Perry Mason.
Staub and Walser are the creative duo behind Toronto Film Festival sensation Concrete Cowboy, which starred Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin. Staub directed and co-wrote the drama with Walser. Their production company, Neighborhood Films,...
- 12/8/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to “Concrete Cowboy,” which stars Idris Elba, according to an individual with knowledge of the project. The film, based on the novel “Ghetto Cowboy” by G. Neri, premiered at the Toronto Film Festival (TIFF) in September. The streamer is eyeing a 2021 release date.
“Concrete Cowboy” also stars “Stranger Things” actor Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome, Byron Bowers, Lorraine Toussaint, and Clifford “Method Man” Smith.
“Concrete Cowboy” is directed by Ricky Staub, from a script written by Staub and Dan Walser. The film follows a 15-year-old boy (McLaughlin) who is sent to live with his estranged father in Philadelphia, where he learns about the local urban cowboy community. Jerome plays Smush, who used to be a rider but became involved in the drug trade.
In his TIFF review of the film, TheWrap’s Steve Pond said, “Concrete Cowboy” is an urban drama, but it’s also a...
“Concrete Cowboy” also stars “Stranger Things” actor Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome, Byron Bowers, Lorraine Toussaint, and Clifford “Method Man” Smith.
“Concrete Cowboy” is directed by Ricky Staub, from a script written by Staub and Dan Walser. The film follows a 15-year-old boy (McLaughlin) who is sent to live with his estranged father in Philadelphia, where he learns about the local urban cowboy community. Jerome plays Smush, who used to be a rider but became involved in the drug trade.
In his TIFF review of the film, TheWrap’s Steve Pond said, “Concrete Cowboy” is an urban drama, but it’s also a...
- 10/26/2020
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Film set to debut on platform in 2021.
In a deal understood to be in the reigon of $10m, Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to Concrete Cowboy, the father-son drama starring Idris Elba that premiered at Toronto in September.
The streamer will launch the feature on its platform in 2021.
Caleb McLaughlin also stars in story of a troubled teen who is sent by his mother to spend time with his estranged father, who belongs to a vibrant urban black cowboy community in contemporary north Philadelphia.
Ricky Staub directed Concrete Cowboy and adapted the screenplay with Dan Walser from the novel Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri.
In a deal understood to be in the reigon of $10m, Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to Concrete Cowboy, the father-son drama starring Idris Elba that premiered at Toronto in September.
The streamer will launch the feature on its platform in 2021.
Caleb McLaughlin also stars in story of a troubled teen who is sent by his mother to spend time with his estranged father, who belongs to a vibrant urban black cowboy community in contemporary north Philadelphia.
Ricky Staub directed Concrete Cowboy and adapted the screenplay with Dan Walser from the novel Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri.
- 10/26/2020
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Idris Elba’s urban western “Concrete Cowboy” will be riding its way onto Netflix.
The streamer has picked up the cowboy tale after it debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. Netflix will release the film in 2021.
“Concrete Cowboy” follows 15-year-old Cole (Caleb McLaughlin), who discovers the world of urban horseback riding when his mother sends him to live with his estranged father, Harp (Elba) in North Philadelphia. Jharrel Jerome, Lorraine Toussaint, Byron Bowers and Clifford “Method Man” Smith also star in the film, which is based on the real-life horsemen of the Pennsylvania area and the novel “Ghetto Cowboy” from G. Neri. Filmmaker Ricky Staub makes his feature-length debut with the project, written with Dan Walser. Elba and Philly native Lee Daniels are among the producers of the film.
“For a long time, there’s been a real sort of mistelling of history around Black people and horses and cowboys and whatnot,...
The streamer has picked up the cowboy tale after it debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. Netflix will release the film in 2021.
“Concrete Cowboy” follows 15-year-old Cole (Caleb McLaughlin), who discovers the world of urban horseback riding when his mother sends him to live with his estranged father, Harp (Elba) in North Philadelphia. Jharrel Jerome, Lorraine Toussaint, Byron Bowers and Clifford “Method Man” Smith also star in the film, which is based on the real-life horsemen of the Pennsylvania area and the novel “Ghetto Cowboy” from G. Neri. Filmmaker Ricky Staub makes his feature-length debut with the project, written with Dan Walser. Elba and Philly native Lee Daniels are among the producers of the film.
“For a long time, there’s been a real sort of mistelling of history around Black people and horses and cowboys and whatnot,...
- 10/26/2020
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
There is a moment of surreal wonder near the start of Concrete Cowboy, the TIFF premiere co-starring Idris Elba, that is never equaled again, a sequence of unexpected radiance conjuring a sense of astonishment. A troubled teenager has been sent from Detroit to Philadelphia to spend the summer with his long-absent father. He arrives at night to a nearly empty, rather foreboding street. Eventually he finds his (seemingly) menacing father and is led into a ramshackle, messy home. Suddenly he sees a large horse and responds appropriately: “There’s a horse… in your house.”
It’s a surreal, beautifully shot scene. If only Concrete Cowboy had more moments like it. This is not to say Cowboy is a poor film—it is, in fact, watchable, well-acted, occasionally moving. It’s also overly predictable and never transcends the tropes of the standard coming-of-age drama, making for a forgettable disappointment.
While the...
It’s a surreal, beautifully shot scene. If only Concrete Cowboy had more moments like it. This is not to say Cowboy is a poor film—it is, in fact, watchable, well-acted, occasionally moving. It’s also overly predictable and never transcends the tropes of the standard coming-of-age drama, making for a forgettable disappointment.
While the...
- 9/20/2020
- by Christopher Schobert
- The Film Stage
As we try to squint our way to see what the next seven months hold, TIFF and Venice unveiled the first crop of awards contenders for the 2020-2021 year. At the top of that list is Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland,” which took the Golden Lion on Saturday evening. Poised to do wonders for distributor Searchlight Pictures on the circuit, Zhao has four possibilities at awards attention, which could tie her with Warren Beatty who achieved four nominations, in one year, on two separate occasions (“Heaven Can Wait” in 1978 and “Reds” in 1981). Depending on how the rest of the film year shakes out, “Nomadland” is at the top of the heap in several categories.
Another big hit was Regina King’s directorial debut, “One Night in Miami” from Amazon Studios. With a robust ensemble, the film received outstanding notices but the streamer is still discussing the category placements for its four stars Kingsley Ben-Adir,...
Another big hit was Regina King’s directorial debut, “One Night in Miami” from Amazon Studios. With a robust ensemble, the film received outstanding notices but the streamer is still discussing the category placements for its four stars Kingsley Ben-Adir,...
- 9/17/2020
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Idris Elba and producer Lee Daniels were drawn to “Concrete Cowboy” because of writer and director Ricky Staub, but Jharrel Jerome wanted to be a part of the film because of how his character disrupts stereotypes.
“I think the challenge was making sure I had the arc along in the right way and making sure that at the beginning you don’t understand who [my character] is because that’s how it is in the real world,” Jerome told TheWrap’s Steve Pond. “When you look at someone who may be considered a drug dealer or a gangster or someone who is a thug, you don’t stop to see what else he is and you don’t stop to see why he is doing what he is doing or what got him there… The challenge was allowing the truth to shine slowly but surely so that hopefully next time you see...
“I think the challenge was making sure I had the arc along in the right way and making sure that at the beginning you don’t understand who [my character] is because that’s how it is in the real world,” Jerome told TheWrap’s Steve Pond. “When you look at someone who may be considered a drug dealer or a gangster or someone who is a thug, you don’t stop to see what else he is and you don’t stop to see why he is doing what he is doing or what got him there… The challenge was allowing the truth to shine slowly but surely so that hopefully next time you see...
- 9/15/2020
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Stranger Things’ Caleb McLaughlin also stars as a kid sent to live with his father, who is a mainstay of the African-American urban cowboy tradition
Idris Elba has always been a charismatic screen presence, so it’s no surprise that he cuts a very fine figure on horseback. Elba is the producer-star of this emotionally heartfelt, unusual, if somewhat sucrose urban western. Ricky Staub, the director of several well-liked short films, here makes his feature debut, and with screenwriter Dan Walser he has adapted the 2011 YA novel Ghetto Cowboy by Greg Neri which is centred around the urban-equestrian tradition in Philadelphia, where the Fletcher Street stables have long nurtured young riders.
The Hollywood image of cowboys is white people in stetsons riding around huge open countryside. This film shows us that’s not the whole story: there’s an alternative African-American tradition. Caleb McLaughlin (who plays Lucas in TV’s Stranger Things) is Cole,...
Idris Elba has always been a charismatic screen presence, so it’s no surprise that he cuts a very fine figure on horseback. Elba is the producer-star of this emotionally heartfelt, unusual, if somewhat sucrose urban western. Ricky Staub, the director of several well-liked short films, here makes his feature debut, and with screenwriter Dan Walser he has adapted the 2011 YA novel Ghetto Cowboy by Greg Neri which is centred around the urban-equestrian tradition in Philadelphia, where the Fletcher Street stables have long nurtured young riders.
The Hollywood image of cowboys is white people in stetsons riding around huge open countryside. This film shows us that’s not the whole story: there’s an alternative African-American tradition. Caleb McLaughlin (who plays Lucas in TV’s Stranger Things) is Cole,...
- 9/15/2020
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
‘Concrete Cowboy’ Review: Idris Elba Plays a Tough Inner-City Horseman in Masterful Father-Son Drama
Kicked out of school for fighting, again, 15-year-old Cole (Caleb McLaughlin of “Stranger Things”) doesn’t know what to expect when his exasperated mom drives him to Philadelphia and drops the hotheaded teen on his estranged father’s doorstep for the summer, but the last thing he expects to find in the living room is a horse. Cole can hardly remember his dad, so he has no idea the guy spends most of his time around the corner at the Fletcher Street Stables, playing modern-day cowboy. Then again, who can blame the kid: How many people realize there’s such a thing as inner-city equestrians, much less remember the role Black men have played in American horsemanship?
After “Concrete Cowboy,” they won’t soon forget it. This is one of those rare, reframe-the-conversation films, like “Paris Is Burning,” “12 O’Clock Boys” and “Rize,” that take a very specific subculture and...
After “Concrete Cowboy,” they won’t soon forget it. This is one of those rare, reframe-the-conversation films, like “Paris Is Burning,” “12 O’Clock Boys” and “Rize,” that take a very specific subculture and...
- 9/14/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
The very existence of Fletcher Street Stables, where Black cowboys have kept horses in cramped rooms and roamed the city streets for a century, begs for cultural investigation. While the image of the Black cowboy has been marginalized by American storytelling, the real-life characters of Fletcher Street provide an excuse to make up for past exclusions. The setting served as a backdrop for Greg Neri’s novel “Ghetto Cowboy,” which has now inspired “Concrete Cowboy,”
Idris Elba stars as stern and world-weary North Philly cowboy Harp, who has given up on family life to roam the streets with his trusty steed Chuck and a close-knit community of fellow riders. That routine gets shaken up with the arrival of his troubled teen son Cole (“Stranger Things” discovery Caleb McLaughlin), who has been expelled from Detroit schools so many times that his exasperated mother (a frantic Elizabeth Priestley in a handful of...
Idris Elba stars as stern and world-weary North Philly cowboy Harp, who has given up on family life to roam the streets with his trusty steed Chuck and a close-knit community of fellow riders. That routine gets shaken up with the arrival of his troubled teen son Cole (“Stranger Things” discovery Caleb McLaughlin), who has been expelled from Detroit schools so many times that his exasperated mother (a frantic Elizabeth Priestley in a handful of...
- 9/14/2020
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Concrete Cowboy is about a different kind of urban cowboy — in this case, an outcast Black teenager who finds an unlikely home amongst a group of horse aficionados in a Philadelphia ghetto. Nicely acted and sympathetic in every way, Ricky Staub’s directorial debut has nonetheless bridled himself with an entirely on-the-nose scenario that spells everything out and deals with all issues at hand in a very predictable way.
It’s well known that a great many Black cowboys — far more than were ever represented in movies — ranged the Old West during the latter half of the 19th century; the Smithsonian puts its estimate at 25%, or roughly double the percentage of Black citizens of the United States at large. Rather less known has been the existence of Black riding clubs in American urban centers, which is no doubt why Staub and co-writer Dan Walser, working from the Greg Neri’s book Ghetto Cowboy,...
It’s well known that a great many Black cowboys — far more than were ever represented in movies — ranged the Old West during the latter half of the 19th century; the Smithsonian puts its estimate at 25%, or roughly double the percentage of Black citizens of the United States at large. Rather less known has been the existence of Black riding clubs in American urban centers, which is no doubt why Staub and co-writer Dan Walser, working from the Greg Neri’s book Ghetto Cowboy,...
- 9/14/2020
- by Todd McCarthy
- Deadline Film + TV
The fall film festival season is now officially underway with Venice Film Festival kicking off last week. Next on the calendar is the Toronto International Film Festival, which will understandably look quite different in the age of the pandemic. With limited-capacity screenings along with virtual offerings (geo-blocked to Canada), the overall lineup is drastically reduced from the standard hundreds of features down to the 50 or so that will premiere from September 10 through September 20.
We’ll be extensively covering the festival with reviews beginning to roll out this week, and ahead of the kick-off, we’re highlighting the 12 world premieres at TIFF we’re most looking forward to. Check out our preview below and return later this week for an overview of the must-see short films coming to the festival and more.
76 Days
There will be many, many documentaries and narrative features in the years to come dissecting the coronavirus pandemic...
We’ll be extensively covering the festival with reviews beginning to roll out this week, and ahead of the kick-off, we’re highlighting the 12 world premieres at TIFF we’re most looking forward to. Check out our preview below and return later this week for an overview of the must-see short films coming to the festival and more.
76 Days
There will be many, many documentaries and narrative features in the years to come dissecting the coronavirus pandemic...
- 9/7/2020
- by The Film Stage
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Sierra/Affinity has boarded international sales rights to Concrete Cowboys, which just wrapped production and stars Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin from Stranger Things.
The film is inspired by the real-life Fletcher Street Stables, a black urban horsemanship community that has existed in Philadelphia for more than 100 years providing a safe haven.
McLaughlin stars as 15-year-old Cole, who moves in with his estranged father Harp (Elba) in North Philadelphia, where he discovers a vibrant subculture. Rounding out the cast are Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Jharrel Jerome, Lorraine Toussaint, and Byron Bowers.
Ricky Staub directs the...
Sierra/Affinity has boarded international sales rights to Concrete Cowboys, which just wrapped production and stars Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin from Stranger Things.
The film is inspired by the real-life Fletcher Street Stables, a black urban horsemanship community that has existed in Philadelphia for more than 100 years providing a safe haven.
McLaughlin stars as 15-year-old Cole, who moves in with his estranged father Harp (Elba) in North Philadelphia, where he discovers a vibrant subculture. Rounding out the cast are Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Jharrel Jerome, Lorraine Toussaint, and Byron Bowers.
Ricky Staub directs the...
- 9/6/2019
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Cliff “Method Man” Smith has added two high-profile features to his resume. The rapper-turned-actor recently wrapped Tim Kirkby’s forthcoming action-thriller Waldo and is set for the Ricky Staub-directed Concrete Cowboys starring Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin.
In Waldo, Smith will appear opposite Mel Gibson and Charlie Hunnam. The feature based on Howard Michael Gould’s novel Last Looks follows a disgraced Lapd detective (Hunnam), who’s spent the past three years living off the grid. He’s reluctantly pulled back into his old life by a former lover in order to solve the murder of an eccentric celebrity’s wife. Smith will play a rapper who is being investigated by Waldo (Hunnam). The film was adapted by Gould and also stars Morena Baccarin, Dominic Monaghan, Eiza Gonzalez, Clancy Brown, Lucy Fry and Jacob Scipio.
Deadline exclusively reported the announcement of Concrete Cowboys which is inspired by the real-life Fletcher Street Stables,...
In Waldo, Smith will appear opposite Mel Gibson and Charlie Hunnam. The feature based on Howard Michael Gould’s novel Last Looks follows a disgraced Lapd detective (Hunnam), who’s spent the past three years living off the grid. He’s reluctantly pulled back into his old life by a former lover in order to solve the murder of an eccentric celebrity’s wife. Smith will play a rapper who is being investigated by Waldo (Hunnam). The film was adapted by Gould and also stars Morena Baccarin, Dominic Monaghan, Eiza Gonzalez, Clancy Brown, Lucy Fry and Jacob Scipio.
Deadline exclusively reported the announcement of Concrete Cowboys which is inspired by the real-life Fletcher Street Stables,...
- 8/23/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
The wheels have started turning on production for the upcoming film Concrete Cowboys. The film will star Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin (Stranger Things) as father and son in the film that is being directed by Ricky Staub from a screenplay he wrote with Dan Walser. Here is the synopsis for the story, courtesy of Deadline:
The film is inspired by the real-life Fletcher Street Stables, a black urban horsemanship community which has existed in Philadelphia for more than 100 years providing a safe haven for the neighborhood. Pic is also inspired by the novel Ghetto Cowboy by Greg Neri. Concrete Cowboysfollows 15-year-old Cole (McLaughlin) who is taken to live with his estranged father Harp (Elba) in North Philadelphia, where he discovers the city’s vibrant urban cowboy subculture, which flourishes despite the surrounding poverty, violence, and encroachment of gentrification.
Elba and McLaughlin are joined in the cast by Jharrel Jerome,...
The film is inspired by the real-life Fletcher Street Stables, a black urban horsemanship community which has existed in Philadelphia for more than 100 years providing a safe haven for the neighborhood. Pic is also inspired by the novel Ghetto Cowboy by Greg Neri. Concrete Cowboysfollows 15-year-old Cole (McLaughlin) who is taken to live with his estranged father Harp (Elba) in North Philadelphia, where he discovers the city’s vibrant urban cowboy subculture, which flourishes despite the surrounding poverty, violence, and encroachment of gentrification.
Elba and McLaughlin are joined in the cast by Jharrel Jerome,...
- 8/12/2019
- by Jessica Fisher
- GeekTyrant
Exclusive: Production is now underway on Concrete Cowboys, with Idris Elba starring with Stranger Things‘ Caleb McLaughlin. Also starring is Jharrel Jerome, who is freshly Emmy nominated for Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us; Lorraine Toussaint (The Village); and Byron Bowers (The Chi). Elba is coming off a strong opening weekend for the Fast & Furious spinoff Hobbs & Shaw.
The film is inspired by the real-life Fletcher Street Stables, a black urban horsemanship community which has existed in Philadelphia for more than 100 years providing a safe haven for the neighborhood. Pic is also inspired by the novel Ghetto Cowboy by Greg Neri. Concrete Cowboys follows 15-year-old Cole (McLaughlin) who is taken to live with his estranged father Harp (Elba) in North Philadelphia, where he discovers the city’s vibrant urban cowboy subculture, which flourishes despite the surrounding poverty, violence, and encroachment of gentrification.
Ricky Staub is directing a screenplay he wrote with Dan Walser.
The film is inspired by the real-life Fletcher Street Stables, a black urban horsemanship community which has existed in Philadelphia for more than 100 years providing a safe haven for the neighborhood. Pic is also inspired by the novel Ghetto Cowboy by Greg Neri. Concrete Cowboys follows 15-year-old Cole (McLaughlin) who is taken to live with his estranged father Harp (Elba) in North Philadelphia, where he discovers the city’s vibrant urban cowboy subculture, which flourishes despite the surrounding poverty, violence, and encroachment of gentrification.
Ricky Staub is directing a screenplay he wrote with Dan Walser.
- 8/8/2019
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Idris Elba will star in and produce the indie Ghetto Cowboy.
The film follows 15-year-old Cole, who is forced to live with his estranged father, Harp (Elba), in north Philadelphia where, despite the surrounding poverty and violence, he discovers the redemptive world of urban horseback riding.
The movie is based on the 2011 novel of the same name by Greg Neri. Dan Walser and Ricky Staub wrote the screenplay, with Staub set to make his directorial debut on the project.
Elba will produce under his Green Door Pictures banner, along with Jeff Waxman, Jen Madeloff, Sam Mercer, Tegan Jones ...
The film follows 15-year-old Cole, who is forced to live with his estranged father, Harp (Elba), in north Philadelphia where, despite the surrounding poverty and violence, he discovers the redemptive world of urban horseback riding.
The movie is based on the 2011 novel of the same name by Greg Neri. Dan Walser and Ricky Staub wrote the screenplay, with Staub set to make his directorial debut on the project.
Elba will produce under his Green Door Pictures banner, along with Jeff Waxman, Jen Madeloff, Sam Mercer, Tegan Jones ...
Idris Elba will star in and produce the indie Ghetto Cowboy.
The film follows 15-year-old Cole, who is forced to live with his estranged father, Harp (Elba), in north Philadelphia where, despite the surrounding poverty and violence, he discovers the redemptive world of urban horseback riding.
The movie is based on the 2011 novel of the same name by Greg Neri. Dan Walser and Ricky Staub wrote the screenplay, with Staub set to make his directorial debut on the project.
Elba will produce under his Green Door Pictures banner, along with Jeff Waxman, Jen Madeloff, Sam Mercer, Tegan Jones ...
The film follows 15-year-old Cole, who is forced to live with his estranged father, Harp (Elba), in north Philadelphia where, despite the surrounding poverty and violence, he discovers the redemptive world of urban horseback riding.
The movie is based on the 2011 novel of the same name by Greg Neri. Dan Walser and Ricky Staub wrote the screenplay, with Staub set to make his directorial debut on the project.
Elba will produce under his Green Door Pictures banner, along with Jeff Waxman, Jen Madeloff, Sam Mercer, Tegan Jones ...
Idris Elba has joined the ensemble cast of “Ghetto Cowboy,” which marks Ricky Staub’s feature directorial debut.
The movie is based on the award-winning novel by Greg Neri. The screenplay was written by Staub and Dan Walser. Elba will produce under his Green Door Pictures banner. Jeff Waxman, Jen Madeloff, Sam Mercer, Tegan Jones, and Walser are also producing.
“This story was built out of a deep friendship and collaboration with the riders of North Philly, and I couldn’t be more excited to honor their legacy with this film,” Staub said.
The pic follows 15-year-old Cole, who’s forced to live with his estranged father Harp (Elba) in North Philadelphia, where, despite the surrounding poverty and violence, he discovers the redemptive world of urban horseback riding.
“Ricky and Dan’s brilliant script combines the energy and grit of an urban movie with the poetry and romance of the urban cowboy way of life,...
The movie is based on the award-winning novel by Greg Neri. The screenplay was written by Staub and Dan Walser. Elba will produce under his Green Door Pictures banner. Jeff Waxman, Jen Madeloff, Sam Mercer, Tegan Jones, and Walser are also producing.
“This story was built out of a deep friendship and collaboration with the riders of North Philly, and I couldn’t be more excited to honor their legacy with this film,” Staub said.
The pic follows 15-year-old Cole, who’s forced to live with his estranged father Harp (Elba) in North Philadelphia, where, despite the surrounding poverty and violence, he discovers the redemptive world of urban horseback riding.
“Ricky and Dan’s brilliant script combines the energy and grit of an urban movie with the poetry and romance of the urban cowboy way of life,...
- 8/9/2018
- by Justin Kroll
- Variety Film + TV
Idris Elba is attached to star and produce Ghetto Cowboy, a film based on the eponymous novel by Greg Neri. Ricky Staub is directing the pic, which is his first directorial feature. Staub also penned the screenplay with Dan Walser.
The story follows 15-year-old Cole who is forced to live with his estranged father Harp (Elba) in North Philadelphia, where despite the surrounding poverty and violence, he discovers the redemptive world of urban horseback riding.
Elba, who was recently seen on the big screen in Disney/ Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War, is producing the drama via his Green Door Pictures shingle, along with Jeff Waxman, Jen Madeloff, Sam Mercer, Tegan Jones and Walser.
Elba marked his directorial debut with the Sundance film, Yardie, and was recently announced as the main villain in Fast and Furious spinoff, Hobbs and Shaw, starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham.
He’s repped by Wme,...
The story follows 15-year-old Cole who is forced to live with his estranged father Harp (Elba) in North Philadelphia, where despite the surrounding poverty and violence, he discovers the redemptive world of urban horseback riding.
Elba, who was recently seen on the big screen in Disney/ Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War, is producing the drama via his Green Door Pictures shingle, along with Jeff Waxman, Jen Madeloff, Sam Mercer, Tegan Jones and Walser.
Elba marked his directorial debut with the Sundance film, Yardie, and was recently announced as the main villain in Fast and Furious spinoff, Hobbs and Shaw, starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham.
He’s repped by Wme,...
- 8/9/2018
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
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