Dave Cunningham
You thought Idris Elba would be taking his high-end sportscar to Netflix but alas, plans have changed––he’s now riding his horse to the streaming giant’s new upcoming Western Drama, Concrete Cowboy. The drama has one of the most exciting casts of actors this early-in in 2021. Some are even recognizable through their past projects with Netflix Originals. Either way, here’s everything you need to know about Concrete Cowboy from head to toe!
IM SO EXCITED FOR CONCRETE COWBOY YOU GUYS
— ً (@sinclqirs) March 5, 2021
What is Concrete Cowboy all about?
Concrete Cowboy is an upcoming Netflix Western-drama Original directed by Ricky Staub. The story is based on Greg Neri’s novel Ghetto Cowboy. Staub was responsible for writing the screenplay, alongside Dan Walser, for the feature and was thoroughly inspired to write the movie after real-life urban cowboys showed up in Philadelphia. While researching further on the case, he stumbled upon Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club which eventually led to Staub’s discovery of Greg Neri’s novel to which the film is based on.
Talking about the story, Concrete Cowboy‘s plot revolves around 15-year-old Cole who moves from Detroit to North Philadelphia to live with his estranged father. Upon arriving, Cole sees “the world of urban horseback riding” and is completely in awe.
When is the Concrete Cowboy release date on Netflix?
Here we are, the most exciting part of the article. The official release date for Concrete Cowboy on the streaming platform is the 2nd of April, 2021.
The film already had its theatrical debut at the Toronto Internation Film Festival when it premiered on the 13th of September, 2020. The next month, you better believe Netflix has already acquired the distribution rights to the film. Now you know how Netflix works––they only need but 30 days to try and figure things out.
Who are the cast members of Concrete Cowboy?
Here are the following cast members who have been confirmed to star in Concrete Cowboy:
- Idris Elba as Harp
- Method Man as Leroy
- Lorraine Toussaint as Nessie
- Caleb McLaughlin as Cole
- Jharrel Jerome as Smush
- Byron Bowers as Rome
- Liz Priestley as Amahle
- Ivannah-Mercedes as Esha
The cast proves to be Netflix staples with five of Concrete Cowboys‘ stars already been featured in one (or even multiple) Netflix Originals. One name you might be familiar with is Caleb McLaughlin from Stranger Things who marks the Western-drama as his second feature film to date.
It also goes without saying that the cast has varied talents. On one end, you have the experienced Idris Elba who has worked even for Marvel as Thor‘s Heimdall. On the other end, you have Ivannah-Mercedes who is set to make her debut with Concrete Cowboys.
When and where was Concrete Cowboy filmed?
In August 2019, principal photography for the movie started and was located in North Philadelphia. One of the more interesting things that I’ve heard from a panel at the Toronto Film Festival was that apparently, Idris Elba is allergic to horses.
“In defense, I’m allergic to horses, OK. I couldn’t see what I was doing, I couldn’t breathe.”
How are the reviews for Concrete Cowboy?
Considering the movie has already been premiered, opinions and official critiques have already been made about the movie. The good thing is that the general consensus, at least from that of RottenTomatoes, is that both critics and fans have enjoyed the movie––especially the main cast and the director. With 43 reviews to its name, it boasts a humble 77% on the film platform.
43 reviews aren’t enough to muster a credible 77%, though. So if anything, Netflix will only be helping the film push forward its goal. Interestingly, IMDb scored the film way lower. Let’s see how Concrete Cowboy lives up to the hype after such a solid cast and an acclaimed director.
