Graham Greene, Wes Studi, Amber Midthunder and Dallas Goldtooth are among the notables in the upcoming drama.
Call it the Indigenous equivalent of “Avengers, Assemble!” and you won’t be far off the mark.
Dallas Goldtooth (Reservation Dogs, Rez Ball), Amber Midthunder (Prey, Centurion: The Dancing Stallion), Wes Studi (The Last of the Mohicans, Hostiles) and Graham Greene (Dances with Wolves, Longmire) have signed on to star in Brave, an upcoming comedy-drama from writer/director Steven Paul Judd (Echo, Dark Winds).
According to The Hollywood Reporter, it will be the first movie to film on Choctaw land — specifically, the Choctaw Nation Reservation in southeastern Oklahoma — and was developed in close cooperation with the Choctaw Nation, the third-largest Native tribe in the United States.
“This film represents a historic milestone for our Tribe,” Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Chief Gary Batton posted on Instagram. “It’s a powerful step forward in our efforts to defend sovereignty, ensuring our stories are told authentically by our own people. It also provides a platform for Choctaws to see themselves represented on screen, fostering pride and connection to their heritage.
“The production will also bring economic opportunity to communities in southeast Oklahoma, supporting local businesses and showcasing the beauty of our land.”
Judd, who is of Kiowa and Choctaw ancestry, saw Brave — which will go into production next summer — as an invaluable educational experience: “It was very important for me that this project also provides training opportunities for local kids, to give them hands-on experience on a film set. I knew when I grew up, I had no idea how to get into this business and I would have killed to work on a movie like this.”
Goldtooth stars as Uncle Jack, a military vet who’s struggling with substance abuse problems while working as the entertainment in his local Native casino. After the death of his estranged brother, Jack meets Jillian, his young niece, who’s now an orphan — and, worse, dying of liver cancer. Her one wish to find a suitable home for her dog, Carl. She sees Uncle Jack as a potential caretaker, even though Jack can barely care for himself. Indeed, even though a liver transplant could save Jillian’s life and Jack is a match, his years of alcohol abuse have made him unsuitable.
Greene will play Pops, Jack’s disapproving father; Studi and Midthunder will play Ernie and Charlie, mismatched partners of the local police force. The part of Jillian has not yet been cast.
