Fort Worth hosts star-studded world premiere of bull riding film ‘The Last Rodeo’
A different kind of bull riding event took place in Fort Worth on Monday, a mere nine miles from the Stockyards.
The cast and crew of “The Last Rodeo” piled into AMC Dine-In Clearfork 8 on May 12 for the world premiere of the new bull riding film, which hits theaters on May 23. The film follows retired rodeo star Joe Wainwright (Neal McDonough) as he enters a bull riding competition to fund his grandson’s emergency medical operation.
Photos were taken, laughs were shared and much of the cast gave each other warm embraces all evening. Chief among the fellowship was McDonough, who brought his wife (and fellow actor/producer) Ruvé and five children along for the ride.
“We’re so blessed and happy to be here,” McDonough told the Star-Telegram.
McDonough on ‘The Last Rodeo’
Not only does McDonough star in the film, he also co-wrote the script and produced the feature.
“The Last Rodeo” came together after an especially melancholic day for McDonough on another film, “The Warrant.” After production wrapped one day, McDonough was missing Ruvé and his kids to such a degree that he pulled his vehicle to the side of the road.
He thought about what would happen to him if Ruvé was gone, much like his character in the film. Another thought came into his head about making “Rocky” on a bull and the rest is history.
“I mean, to have a film that Ruvé and I built from the very beginning. Wrote it, produced it together, starred in it together. To see that baby finally come to life, we’re just so excited,” McDonough said.
“The Last Rodeo” has heart and action, but its core themes are in faith and family.
Ruvé McDonough said those two things are essential in their household and the driving force for their little village. As audiences see the film, she hopes they too take those themes home with them.
“We just want them to take their family into their arms and love their family,” Ruvé McDonough said.
‘The Last Rodeo’ cast in Fort Worth
This was Mykelti Williamson’s first time in Fort Worth.
The “Heat” and “Forrest Gump” actor said he’s looking forward to hitting a few Western stores while in town and adding some “real Texas gear” to his collection. Williamson plays Charlie Williams in “The Last Rodeo,” an old rodeo pal of McDonough’s character.
Much of the heart and comedy in the film comes from the dynamic between Williamson and McDonough, as the two elder statesmen reunite for the bull riding event against significantly younger competition.
“It was magical,” Williamson said on working with McDonough. “Anytime you work with people you love and you know they love you right back, it’s always an opportunity to do something great.”
“The Last Rodeo” director Jon Avnet said he’s only driven through Fort Worth occasionally, but was excited to be in Cowtown for the premiere.
Along with directing, Avnet co-wrote the film with McDonough and Fort Worth native Derek Presley. Whenever McDonough brought the pitch to Avnet, he thought it showed “real possibility.”
The only problem was that neither he or McDonough knew much about bull riding, so Avnet went to work.
“I spent six months running around having all the professionals tell me what it was,” Avnet said. “Then I tried to make them proud and do a good job with the film.”
Real PBR bull riders in ‘The Last Rodeo’
Among the cast and crew at the premiere were real professional bull riders, such as Daylon Swearingen, who also appears in the film.
Swearingen plays Billy Hamilton, a young championship winning bull rider who clashes with McDonough’s Joe. It was Swearingen’s first time acting and he said it was “really cool” to learn from and act opposite McDonough and Williamson.
“They gave me a lot of knowledge,” Swearingen said. “I didn’t know anything going into it and I felt like I know a lot more going out of it.”
“The Last Rodeo” premiere came right in the middle of the PBR World Finals, which began on May 8 and wrap up this weekend (May 17-18) at AT&T Stadium.
PBR CEO Sean Gleason said there’s no better time than right now to hold this premiere as the best cowboys in the world are in town for the championship. The film was made in partnership with the PBR and Gleason is happy to see a bull riding movie get the sport right.
Gleason said he would like to see more bull riding films come to life, as long as they don’t paint the riders as something cliche like drunken cowboys.
“It was a big enough stretch getting Neil McDonough, the old man, to be believable as a bull rider,” Gleason joked as he put his hand on McDonough’s shoulder. “But he made it work and it’s an awesome film.”
“The Last Rodeo” releases in theaters on May 23.
This story was originally published May 13, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
