The Rescue: Brandon Sklenar is heading back to the Western genre. This time, the role looks nothing like his last one.
The "1923" star headlines "The Rescue," a new Western thriller from Paramount Pictures.
He plays a former rodeo cowboy racing to find his kidnapped daughter.
Paramount released the film's first trailer this week. The movie hits theaters in January.
Sklenar built his Western fan base playing Spencer Dutton in "1923," Taylor Sheridan's "Yellowstone" prequel.
His new film leaves that historical setting behind. "The Rescue" unfolds in the present day and centers on a kidnapping, a ransom demand, and a father determined to bring his daughter home.
A Contemporary Cowboy Role for Sklenar
Sklenar plays Jamie Lee Betts in "The Rescue." Betts is a former rodeo cowboy whose daughter is taken for ransom.
He sets out to find her on his own. His daughter's dog travels with him along the way.
Paramount's official synopsis says Betts "takes matters into his own hands" once she's abducted.
That personal, stripped-down premise sets the film apart from the multigenerational family drama Sklenar starred in on "1923."
The trailer puts Sklenar back in cowboy boots, but the setting has shifted. He now plays a present-day rodeo rider instead of an early 20th-century rancher.
A first-look report from PEOPLE noted that Sklenar spent significant time training with a horse and a dog during production.
The film carries other ties to the "Yellowstone" universe. Hassie Harrison plays Kacey Tucker, Betts' ex-wife.
Harrison previously appeared in "Yellowstone" as Laramie. Josh Lucas, who played a young John Dutton in "Yellowstone" flashback sequences, also joins the cast.
Fans Have Called 1923 Sheridan's Strongest Show
Viewers who first discovered Sklenar through "1923" now have another Western to watch him in.
ScreenRant has previously argued that "1923" stands as the best show in Taylor Sheridan's expanding TV universe.
The outlet pointed to the show's performances, its sweeping storyline, and its role within the broader "Yellowstone" franchise.
That reputation gives "The Rescue" a built-in audience among Sheridan's fan base.
In "1923," Sklenar played Spencer Dutton, grandson of James and Margaret Dutton from "1883."
The character sits at the center of the Dutton family saga that anchors the "Yellowstone" franchise.
"The Rescue" breaks from that lineage. Unlike "Yellowstone" and its prequels, the film isn't tied to the Dutton family story.
It's a standalone thriller built around a much smaller, more personal conflict.
The Rescue Opens in Theaters in 2027
Paramount Pictures will release "The Rescue" exclusively in theaters on Jan. 29, 2027.
The newly released trailer offers a closer look at Sklenar's character and the search that drives the story.
The film continues a stretch of Western roles for Sklenar that started with his breakout turn in "1923."
But "The Rescue" hands him a very different kind of character: a former rodeo cowboy fighting to save his daughter, not a ranch or a family legacy.
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