The upcoming cowboy western film, The Gunslingers (2025), stars Nicolas Cage, Stephen Dorf, and Mohamed Karim, who is the first actor from the Middle East to ever portray a cowboy in a Hollywood film. Written and directed by Brian Skiba, the film sees Skiba returning to the world of saloon doors, bolo-ties, and six-shooters.
Nicolas Cage has seen a much needed, and deserved, resurgence in recent years, having gone from his long string of I-really-need-to-pay-off-my-debts films, to making some of the best films in recent years: Pig (2021), The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022), Dream Scenario (2023), Butcher’s Crossing (2023), and most recently Longlegs (2024), which currently boasts 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. And now he’s stepping into the realm of the American western, starring alongside Mohamed Karim who has now officially made history.
According to IMDB, Karim plays ‘Hoodoo’ a cigar-smoking, pistol-shooting badass, who looks pretty darn sharp in a cowboy hat and suit standing next to Hollywood royalty – Cage, Dorf and Heather Graham.
In a previous interview with Esquire Middle East, Mohamed mentioned of his Hollywood aspirations: “I just thought to myself, ‘take the leap. If you don’t achieve your goals then at least you tried and you can’t regret that.’” A wise move.
Nicolas Cage is one of the most iconic screen legends of the last forty years, having won an Oscar and, as mentioned, has now suddenly gone back to being a very well respected actor, knocking it out of the parks with the critics and the box office. Could this be a career defining film for Karim? Wait until 2025 to find out.
The film also stars Heather Graham, Scarlet Stallone, Bre Blair, Laurie Love, Randall Batinkoff, and Ava Monroe.
IMDB reports the film is in post-production, with no official release date yet.
