Jack Kilmer has been secretly working on his next major feature film, Dead Man's Hand, which has only just made it to the light following the film's acquisition by a major studio. The western film, which has just had its North American rights acquired by Lionsgate's Grindstone Entertainment Group, has reportedly wrapped principal filming. In the film, Kilmer plays the protagonist, Reno, who is on a revenge mission following an ambush that leaves him for dead. Facing off against Reno is the villain Mayor Bishop, portrayed by Stephen Dorff (True Detective).
Romance and vengeance are at the heart of Dead Man’s Hand, which centers on Kilmer's Reno, a gunslinger who decides to "hang up his six-shooters" after getting married to the love of his life, Vegas, but it is the Wild West where trouble is ever lurking, and it isn't long before the gunslinger's honeymoon is disrupted by ruthless entities. Reno kills a bandit in self-defense, triggering the wrath of the bandit's influential brother, Mayor Clarence Bishop (Dorff), who is determined to take revenge for his brother's death. The ruthless mayor launches a deadly ambush that leaves Reno near death, taking his new bride prisoner. Reno then finds an ally in Marshal Roy McCutcheon (Cole Hauser) "to channel his fury as he swears revenge on every single bastard who hurt them."
The premise is fascinating, to say the least, and teases a riveting western action in store. Kilmer who has been tasked with leading the film has for the most part of his career appeared in small and supporting film roles, thus it will be interesting to see him step up to fill what might yet be the biggest role of his carer. Kilmer has seemingly racked up the needed experience to deliver a strong performance, he recently appeared in Bruce Willis's action flick, Detective Knight: Redemption and has wrapped filming for the upcoming sequel Detective Knight: Independence which will wrap up the trilogy. Some of his notable credits include Palo Alto, Lords of Chaos, and the critically acclaimed Sundance entry Hala. His slate of upcoming films includes The Thrill Is On and Generation Angst both still in the works.
Dead Man's Hand is adapted from the popular graphic novel, No Rest of the Wicked – Dead Man’s Hand, written by Kevin Minor and Matthew Minor. Brian Skiba developed the screenplay and also directs and produces the film under his SkibaVision banner. “Dead Man’s Hand is a western rooted in a tragic love story followed by retaliation and nonstop action," Skiba detailed in a statement, further adding:
"I couldn’t be more appreciative to my producing team, the cast, the crew, and Milestone, who collaborated to bring this story to life. Kilmer, Dorff and Hauser gave exceptional performances, while the scenic Great Plains of Santa Fe provided the perfect backdrop for this western.”
Executive producer Barry Brooker describes the film as "a compelling western with visceral, thrilling action" that "raises the stakes in a story of righteous but ferocious revenge that will keep audiences riveted.” Other executive producers are Alan B. Bursteen, Dawn Bursteen, and Stan Wertlieb. Producers include Laurie Love and Jim Burleson.
With filming for Dead Man’s Hand now completed, the coming weeks and months are set to deliver news of a release date and a trailer as the film now heads into post-production. As always, stay locked in on Collider for timely updates. Check out the trailer for Kilmer's upcoming film Detective Knight: Independence below: