The Last Rifleman

The Last Rifleman
Film poster
Directed byTerry Loane
Written byKevin Fitzpatrick
Produced by
  • Katy Jackson
  • John Leslie
  • Kevin Jackson
Starring
CinematographyMark McCauley
Edited byJohn Walters
Music byStephen Warbeck[1]
Production
companies
Distributed bySky Cinema
Release date
  • 5 November 2023 (2023-11-05)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Box office$10,061[2]

The Last Rifleman is a 2023 British drama film written by Kevin Fitzpatrick, loosely based on real events and directed by Terry Loane, which features Pierce Brosnan. It follows Artie Crawford (Brosnan), a Northern Irish World War II veteran who, on the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, decides to secretly escape his care home and embarks on an arduous but inspirational journey from Northern Ireland to France, to pay his final respects to his best friend and find the courage to face the ghosts of his past.[3]

The film is loosely based on the true story of British D-Day veteran Bernard Jordan, who left his care home in England to travel to France.[4][5] Another film based on Jordan's story, The Great Escaper, starring Michael Caine, was released a few weeks earlier.

The Last Rifleman marked the final film appearance by John Amos prior to his death on August 21, 2024. The film did not have a theatrical release; it premiered on the Sky Cinema subscription service on 5 November 2023.

Cast

Production

In September 2020, it was announced that Brosnan would star in the film.[8][9][10][11] In November 2020, it was announced that Louis Gossett Jr. and Jürgen Prochnow had been added to the cast.[12] However, sometime after this announcement, it would later be revealed that Gossett Jr.'s role would be recast with John Amos for reasons unknown. This film would end up marking Amos' final film appearance prior to his death in August 2024; almost less than a year after the film's release.[13]

Principal photography finished in August 2022 in Belfast after six weeks of filming.[14]

Release

The film did not have a theatrical release; instead it was released on Sky Cinema on 5 November 2023.[15]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 67% of 15 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.2/10.[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Warrenpoint man set to make film debut with 'The Last Rifleman'". Newry Democrat. July 7, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  2. ^ "The Last Rifleman". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  3. ^ Tai, Anita (July 25, 2022). "Pierce Brosnan Undergoes Amazing Transformation For 'The Last Rifleman'". Entertainment Tonight Canada. Archived from the original on July 25, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  4. ^ "The Last Rifleman: emotive Pierce Brosnan film set in Northern Ireland moves veterans to tears". uk.movies.yahoo.com. 2023-11-06. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  5. ^ "The True Story Behind 'The Last Rifleman' Starring Pierce Brosnan". Thought Catalog. 2023-10-31. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  6. ^ Bereta, Jesse (September 8, 2022). "Where You've Seen The Cast Of Me Time Before". Looper.com. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Hegarty, Tasha (July 26, 2022). "James Bond star Pierce Brosnan is unrecognisable in first look at new movie". Digital Spy. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  8. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (September 1, 2020). "Pierce Brosnan to Star in 'The Last Rifleman,' With WestEnd, CAA on Board". Variety. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  9. ^ Grater, Tom (September 1, 2020). "Pierce Brosnan To Star In War Veteran Story 'The Last Rifleman'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  10. ^ Martin, Annie (September 1, 2020). "Pierce Brosnan to play WWII veteran in 'The Last Rifleman'". United Press International. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  11. ^ Leiber, Sarah Jae (September 1, 2020). "Pierce Brosnan Will Lead THE LAST RIFLEMAN". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  12. ^ Grater, Tom (November 9, 2020). "Louis Gossett Jr & Jurgen Prochnow Join 'The Last Rifleman' For WestEnd – AFM". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  13. ^ Evans, Greg (2024-10-01). "John Amos Dies: 'Good Times', 'Roots' Actor Was 84". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  14. ^ Preston, Allan (August 5, 2022). "Pierce Brosnan: The Last Rifleman actor thanks people of Belfast as he shares photos from filming wrap". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  15. ^ Sandwell, Ian (October 31, 2023). "First trailer for Pierce Brosnan's new movie The Last Rifleman". Digital Spy. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  16. ^ "The Last Rifleman". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 7 December 2024.