Armie Hammer, William H. Macy, and Thomas Jane form the star-studded ensemble in the upcoming Western thriller Frontier Crucible, directed by Travis Mills and slated for release on December 5th. The period feature also boasts the talents of Myles Clohessy, Mary Stickley, Eli Brown, Ryan Masson, Zane Holtz, and Eddie Spears.
Inspired by Harry Whittington's 1961 novel Desert Stake-Out, the film follows Merrick Beckford as he becomes embroiled in a ruthless struggle for survival after inadvertently killing an Apache scout alongside three notorious outlaws. The intense Western drama delves into themes of redemption, endurance, and frontier justice, with Macy's character urging, "People down south need medical supplies, and you know how to navigate the Apache. You could do it—alone, unaccompanied."
The indie project is produced by Dallas Sonnier, David Guglielmo, Lillian Campbell, and Preston Poulter. Sonnier, renowned for his gritty genre films such as Bone Tomahawk, Brawl in Cell Block 99, and Dragged Across Concrete, expressed his excitement to collaborate with Hammer. "I've built my career producing masculine indie movies... And now, I'm thrilled to work with Armie Hammer on Frontier Crucible," Sonnier said.
This marks Hammer's first feature since 20th Century Studios' Death on the Nile (2022). The actor's career stalled in 2021 following misconduct allegations that he denied, claiming the relationships were consensual but admitting to emotional mistreatment. Earlier in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hammer shared his optimism about his comeback: "I don't need to be back making big studio films. I'm happy just making fun, smaller movies for now."
