New Western With Oscar Winner & Malcolm McDowell Arrives Today in Theaters

A new Western featuring an Oscar-winning actor and Malcolm McDowell is now playing in theaters. Last Train to Fortune opened in select theaters on September 18, 2026, bringing Adam Rifkin’s frontier story to the big screen.

The PG-13 film runs 94 minutes and centers on Cecil Peachtree, a schoolteacher traveling to Fortune for a new job. After missing his train, Cecil crosses paths with outlaw Jedidiah Dooley, played by James Paxton.

The two men strike a deal that changes the course of their journey. Dooley agrees to escort Cecil to Fortune in exchange for the teacher’s stipend waiting there. Their trip brings gunfights, horse chases, jailbreaks, and trouble in frontier towns.

Adam Rifkin directs the movie from a screenplay by Michele Rifkin. The film also uses its Western setting to explore literacy, education, and the value of knowledge. Principal photography had wrapped by April 2023, ahead of the film’s later festival premiere.

Meet the ensemble cast behind Last Train to Fortune

Malcolm McDowell leads the cast as Cecil Peachtree, the educated schoolmaster caught in an unfamiliar world. James Paxton plays Dooley, the outlaw who becomes Cecil’s reluctant travel partner.

Oscar winner Mary Steenburgen appears as Miss Maybelle. Her casting also reunites her with McDowell, who was her co-star in Time After Time and Cross Creek.

Bernadette Peters joins the cast as Miss Lily, while Laura Marano plays Amanda. M.C. Gainey appears as Snake, with Lee Arenberg as the Sheriff and Marshall Bell as the Station Master.

The project has a long history. It was originally developed with Lindsay Anderson attached to direct and Bill Paxton expected to play Dooley. After both filmmakers died, James Paxton stepped into the role once played by his father.

Last Train to Fortune premiered at the Ojai Film Festival in November 2025. The film is receiving a limited theatrical release, opening in New York on September 18, followed by Dallas on September 23 and Los Angeles on September 25.

Source: Comingsoon.net