Roadside Attractions will release the comedy Accidental Texan, a story about a Harvard ex-student and actor stranded in Buffalo Gap, Texas who stumbles into the role of lifetime when a veteran oil driller, in desperate need of help and about to lose everything he owns, asks him to pose as his “Land Man” to fool the police and corrupt oil company owner. The film will open in theaters on March 8, 2024.
Fresh-faced recent Harvard student Erwin (Rudy Pankow) flames out of his first professional acting job when he forgets to turn off his phone and triggers an explosive nightmare on set. His career and cell phone in tatters, he flees the New Orleans set, only to have his car break down deep in the heart of Texas oil country. Seeking refuge and some possible phone service in a local diner, he meets Faye (Carrie-Anne Moss), a kind waitress who takes pity on him and offers up the local phone book to find a mechanic.
Without enough funds to fix his car, Erwin accepts an offer from Merle, a local oil driller (Thomas Haden Church) only to find out he too is nearly bankrupt and cannot pay his bills. With both men in desperate straits, Merle realizes their only hope may be Erwin’s acting skills and a little help from Faye’s shotgun.
Accidental Texan stars Academy Award® and Golden Globe® Nominee Thomas Haden Church (Sideways, Easy A, Spiderman movies), Rudy Pankow (Outer Banks, Uncharted), Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix Trilogy, Chocolat), and Academy Award® and Golden Globe® Nominee Bruce Dern (Nebraska, The Hateful Eight, The Great Gatsby, The Cowboys), and it’s based on the novel Chocolate Lizards by Cole Thompson.
About the aspirations for the film, writer/producer Julie B. Denny says: “I am very excited to share our uplifting film with audiences and that they take a fun ride, but that they also fill their hearts with hope in miracles in their everyday lives.”
Director Mark Bristol shares: “I was determined to make a film that explores the universal themes of community, trust, and forgiveness framed by Texas’ iconic landscapes. I believe the world needs more feel-good movies that champion the beauty in human nature and Accidental Texan delivers just that.”
Co-Presidents of Roadside Attractions, Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff comment: ”Thomas Haden Church has created so many indelible characters, we are thrilled to present him along with this stellar cast in a comedy that proves Texas indeed has a deep heart.”
Mark Bristol is directing the film from a script written by Julie B. Denny. It is produced by Julie B. Denny, along with Melissa Kirkendall, Koen Wooten and Mark Bristol. Co-Producers are David Denney and Thomas Haden Church, Exec-produced by Michael B. Denny.
The acquisition was negotiated by Roadside Attractions Co-President Howard Cohen and VP of Acquisitions and Co-Productions Angel An and Tyler Konney of Taylor & Dodge on behalf of the filmmakers.
