Montana, Native Boys Age 9 - 14 Wanted for Big Kevin Costner Film

I'm not sure how this news slipped past my radar, but the Montana Film Office shared a post on social media last week (4/29) about a casting call for a big-budget Kevin Costner movie called Horizon, set to begin filming in late August. They're looking for Native American male youth between the ages of 9 and 14. The casting call isn't just for "extras" either. The post states that they are looking to fill principal roles.

Credit: Russell K. Brooks, used with permission

It's exciting to see big-budget film opportunities for Indigenous people.

Most of us can remember the super cringy, not-so-distant Hollywood past when Native roles were filled with white people in make-up. Johnny Depp did it as recently as 2013, as HuffPost covered.

Things are finally starting to change when it comes to authentic casting for Native American roles. Russell Brooks, Southern Cheyenne (and former Montanan) is the Executive Director at Red Eagles Soaring, a non-profit Native youth theater in Seattle. He said,

Native people are this continent’s original storytellers. We’ve reached a transcendent point in time for many more Native artists, stories & productions to emerge & take center stage in the greater film & arts industry.

Keep reading to see how to apply for the role(s).

Get our free mobile app

Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Costner is going big on this film.

The guy obviously loves Westerns and is good at the genre. 1990s Dances with Wolves grossed 184 million ($366 million adjusted), according to Forbes, winning multiple Oscars. And of course... there's Yellowstone, the show nobody can stop talking about. According to the film news site Deadline, Costner will write, star, and produce Horizon, calling it an "expansive film." Filming begins in late August in Utah.

Image by Montana Film Office