Malcolm McDowell, Mary Steenburgen, Bernadette Peters & James Paxton Board Adam Rifkin’s ‘Last Train To Fortune’
DEADLINE
By Anthony D’Alesandro
Malcolm McDowell saddled up with James Paxton, Bernadette Peters and Laura Marano for Adam Rifkin’s Western “Last Train to Fortune”. The film premiered November 8, 2025 at the Ojai Film Festival.
“Last Train to Fortune” also reteams McDowell with his former wife, Oscar winner Mary Steenburgen, the duo previously starring together in the 1979 sci-fi drama “Time After Time” and the 1983 Martin Ritt drama “Cross Creek”.
In the pic, McDowell plays Cecil Peachtree, a stuffed-shirt schoolmaster who misses the last train to Fortune and meets an outlaw named Dooley (Paxton), at which point they strike a deal: The gunslinger will ride the book-loving Cecil to Fortune in exchange for his teacher’s stipend awaiting him. Along the way there are gunfights, jailbreaks and saloon gals, and our mismatched heroes form an unlikely bond. The pic, which is produced by Michael P.J. Gerstein, Paxton, Matt Williams, Rifkin and Brad Wyman (the Oscar-winning Charlize Theron drama “Monster”) is said to be in the spirit of “True Grit”, “Butch & Sundance” and “Once Upon a Time in the West”.
“Last Train to Fortune” has a unique and poignant backstory. The Western was written by Rifkin’s mother, Michele Rifkin, 37 years ago, and was intended to star the late Bill Paxton in the role of Dooley opposite McDowell. Frequent McDowell collaborator Lindsay Anderson was set to direct. Sadly, Anderson passed away before production was to begin.
Cut to 2017, the four longtime friends Rifkin, Wyman, McDowell and Paxton were about to try again, this time with Rifkin at the helm. But just as pre-production was slated to begin, Paxton died unexpectedly. In the years that followed, Rifkin, Wyman and McDowell grew closer to Bill’s actor son James. At a recent lunch, everyone decided the time was finally to move ahead with the movie, with James stepping into the role originally to be played by his father.
Rifkin tells Deadline, “I say with utter confidence this is one of the most powerful performances Malcolm McDowell has given in his storied career. And James Paxton is a revelation.”
McDowell adds, “Peachtree is one of the most fun and satisfying characters I’ve ever played. Plus, the theme that we’re never too old or too young to change, is universal. The story is sweet, funny and heartfelt. I’ve waited 60 years to do a Western so I’m thrilled my first one gets to be “Last Train to Fortune!””
Paxton says “Excited to be working with a master like Malcolm McDowell, we’ve had a blast. I’ve also been a longtime fan of Adam Rifkin’s and am over the moon to be working with him as well.”
“Last Train to Fortune” also stars Mehdi Ajroudi, Lee
Arenberg, Marshall Bell, and M.C. Gainey. It is financed by Future Artists
Entertainment and Intention Forward Productions
Last Train to Fortune – English title
A
2024 U.S.A, British co-production [TriCoast Entertainment (Culver City),
Futureiii
Entertainment Corporation, Peacetowne
Productions, Creative Media Arts (Los
Angeles), Newport Coast Productions
(Newport Coast), Intention Forward
Productions, Peacetowne Productions,
Future Artists Entertainment (London)]
Producers:
Doug Ansell, Daniel Ford Beavis, Brian Cavallaro, Casey Krehbiel, Christine
Lannum, Coleman Lannum, Dylan Lazo, John
Farrier, Michael Gerstein, James
Paxton, Adam Rifkin, Carl Steen, Leah
Sydney, Chelsea Davenport
Director:
Adam Rifkin
Story:
Michelle Rifkin (Michele Rifkin)
Screenplay:
Michelle Rifkin (Michele Rifkin)
Cinematography:
Chase Bowman [color]
Music:
Jack Ryan Sullivan
Running
time: 89 minutes
Story:
Cecil Peachtree, a schoolteacher, and Dooley, an outlaw, as they strike a deal
and develop an odd friendship along the road to Fortune after having to deal
with gunfights, jailbreaks and saloon gals on the way.
Cast:
Cecil
Peachtree – Malcolm McDowell
Jedidiah
Dooley – James Paxton
Chet
Rivers – King Orba
The
Chief – Sam Bearpaw
Jug
band member – Sam Kuhr
Jug
band banjo player – Jack Ryan Sullivan
Poker
players – Norman De Buck, Jesse Bluecloud Campbell
Drunk
outlaw – Craig Stark
Boy
– Finn McDowell
Townsman
– Carol Wheelis
With:
Mary Steenburgen, Bernadette Peters, Laura Marano, M.C. Gainey, Lee Arenberg, Marshall Bell, Amy Hoerler, Mehdi
Ajroudi
Stunt coordinator: Gattlin Griffith
Trailer link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMSImoZc7lg
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