John Sayles Makes a Comeback as Director with I Passed This Way, Featuring Amy Madigan and Chris Cooper

      One return to the director's position that we've eagerly anticipated is John Sayles. The filmmaker behind Lone Star and Matewan hasn't released a movie in 13 years, with his last film being the 2013 crime drama Go for Sisters. Although he has publicly expressed challenges in securing funding, it seems that progress is finally being made on a new project.

      Sayles is set to next direct the western I Passed This Way, with his screenplay inspired by Eugene Manlove Rhodes' novella Pasó Por Aquí, and production is slated to begin later this year. The cast features Oscar winners Amy Madigan and Chris Cooper, alongside an ensemble that includes Thomas Mann, Ted Levine, Ron Perlman, and Cameron Monaghan.

      According to Variety, the film takes place in 1898 and revolves around Ross McEwen, a cowboy who recklessly robs a bank and flees across the arid New Mexico Territory. The synopsis goes on to state: “As the renowned lawman Pat Garrett and his ambitious young deputy close in, Ross finds refuge at a remote Mexican homestead afflicted by diphtheria. There, he confronts a difficult decision: abandon the family to perish and escape to Mexico, or remain and care for them, risking imprisonment. Ross must determine the kind of man he wishes to become.”

      The independent cinema pioneer will film the project in the Canary Islands and Almería, Spain, supported by producers Alejandro Springall and Nadine Luque. Latido Films, which is managing international rights, will market the film at the Cannes market alongside UTA Independent Film Group, responsible for North American sales. We hope a distributor picks this up soon.

      You can listen to our conversation with Sayles from last year below or read it here.