Where Was Open Range Filmed? A Modern Classic Western Drama!

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Are you looking to watch the best Western-action movie? If so, consider watching Open Range (2003). To learn about this revisionist Western drama and other exciting details of where was Open Range filmed, follow the article till the end.

The American Revisionist Western movie Open Range is based on Lauran Paine’s novel The Open Range Men. Kevin Costner co-produced, directed, and acted in this movie. Craig Storper wrote the screenplay for this film. The film received favorable reviews from critics and was a commercial success. It has an IMDb rating of 7.4/10.

The movie is beautifully written, and the cinematography is spectacular. So, to know about the plot and where was Open Range filmed, keep reading the article.

Where Was The Movie Open Range Filmed? Check Out The Location Details Here!

Where Was Open Range Filmed? A Modern Classic Western Drama!

The story revolves around Charley Waite, a former soldier who gets back into action when a rancher attacks his cattle crew. It is one of Kevin Costner’s best works, as the movie covers many themes like action, revenge, and romance. So, if you are a Western genre fan, this movie is worth watching.

It is a modern classic Western movie, but you can still enjoy the Old West themes through its filming locations and costumes. So, to create the best Western genre movie, the team selected the Alberta region for filming. Also, to give an authentic backdrop, the team constructed the town, which cost over $1 million. The production designer Gae S. Buckley designed and monitored the town’s construction.

After the complete construction of the setting, the movie’s filming began on June 17, 2002, and continued till the September of the same year. Now, let me tell you the exact region where was Open Range filmed.

Alberta | Canada

Where Was Open Range Filmed? A Modern Classic Western Drama!

The entire filming of Open Range was done in Alberta. It is a Canadian Province located in the western region with stunning landscapes like rocky mountains, serene lakes, prairies, and deserts. This is why the team selected the Alberta region, which would be the perfect backdrop for the western-themed movie.

Some significant movie scenes were filmed on the Stoney Indian Reservation. Next, the team utilized Longview’s beautiful village for filming a few other sequences. This village has some fantastic spots to explore. Some attractions in this location are Livingstone Falls Recreation Area, Bar U Ranch National Historic Site, Cowboy Trail, Cat Creek Falls, and The Lost American Art Gallery And Museum.

Next, the team used Calgary City to film a few scenes. Calgary is popularly known as Cowtown, home to many cattle-rearing centers. This is why the production team of Open Range selected this region, as the film sets on a Cattle farm.

Calgary is also an excellent choice for vacation if you’re planning to go to Alberta. Here you can find the best places to visit, like Banff & Lake Louise, Calgary Zoo, Heritage Park, Calgary Tower, Canada Olympic Park, and Prince’s Island Park. Due to its stunning backdrops, Calgary served as the backdrop in many movies like Legends Of The Falls, The Bourne Legacy, Interstellar, Under The Banner Of Heaven, and Black Summer. Morley is another prominent location in Alberta used for filming.

So, these are the cities and towns the production team used to film the Open Range movie. Alberta is one of the popular filming locations in Canada that served as a backdrop in many movies like Snowy Day, The Wild North, Inception, Ride, Hell On Wheels, and Billy The Kid.

Alberta is one of the best parts of Canada, and you must include the region in your Canadian vacation places. Because from nature spaces to fun activities, you have so many to explore and enjoy. Some of the must-see attractions in this location are Bankhead Ghost Town, Icefields Parkway, Moraine Lake, Jasper National Park, and Calgary Stampede.

Interesting Production Details To Know

Where Was Open Range Filmed? A Modern Classic Western Drama!

Kevin Costner wanted to do a movie based on the Western genre as he grew up reading Western novels. He worked with the writer Craig Storper who also had the same passion for the Western genre. So, they worked together and made a few changes.

For casting, Kevin clearly knew who to choose for the particular roles. For the Boss Spearman, one of the lead roles, he selected Robert Duvall. Also, Kevin said in an interview that if Robert had neglected the role, he might not have proceeded with the movie’s production.

But one sad incident during the production changed the filming schedule – when practicing horse riding, Duvall fell and had six ribs broken. However, after recovery, Duvall rejoined the production and completed his portion.

As discussed above, the team constructed a town for the filming, but the region still needed to be developed, and it was hard for the team to travel for the construction. So, the team also constructed a road to access the place easily. Next, many cattle were used for filming and managed correctly by professional cowboys.

Plot Of Open Range | What Is The Story About?

The open-range cattleman Boss Spearman and his workers Mose, Button, and Charley lead a herd across the country. During the drive, Boss finds a lack of supplies and asks Mose to go to town and get the supplies. But Mose does not show up for a long time, so Boss and Charley visit the city to check on him.

They find that Denton Baxter, a rancher who doesn’t like the open rangers for using his land, has attacked Mose and put him in jail. Also, Denton warns them to leave the place immediately. When Denton’s group scouts the Boss’s cattle, Boss and Charley fight with them, but some riders kill Mose and shoot Button. Charley and Boss decide to take revenge on them and begin to plan.

Final Words

So, the above are all the exciting details of where was Open Range filmed. If you found this article helpful, do check out other engaging articles on our website, including Gran Torino, Chupa, and A River Runs Through It.

Who is the music composer of the film Open Range?

The music composer of the film is Michael Kamen.

What are the cameras used for shooting?

Different cameras are used for shooting, including Panavision Primo Lenses and Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL, Panavision Panaflex Platinum, and Cine SL 35.

Did the movie earn any awards?

Yes, the movie earned one award from five nominations.

Who played the role of Mose and Button in the film?

Abraham Benrubi played the Mose role, and Diego played the Button role.

Does snowfall in Alberta?

Alberta may experience severe wintertime snowstorms or tornadoes depending on the season. Before you plan a trip, it is good to check the weather condition in Alberta.

Ujwal Mattoo
Ujwal Mattoo
With full journalism and half engineering background, Ujwal has hands in both the tech and creative fields. He is a film enthusiast who loves all kinds of genres. As much as he enjoys watching movies, he is always amused to know more and write about the locations to feed his hunger for traveling. In this world of fictional louds, he voices his opinions softly! He is either busy writing or playing with Milo, his dog!

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