Concrete Cowboys begins shoot in Philadelphia

Ricky Staub’s directorial debut Concrete Cowboys, starring Elba, has started filming in North Philadelphia.

Elba has already been spotted in Philadelphia’s Strawberry Mansion neighbourhood astride a horse, learning to improve his riding skills.

Staub co-wrote the script for the film with Dan Walser, based on Greg Neri’s novel Ghetto Cowboy, and inspired by the real-life black urban horsemanship community, Fletcher Street Stables, which has existed in Philadelphia for more than 100 years.

Other cast members for the project include Stranger Things’ Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome, Lorraine Toussaint and Byron Bowers.

Concrete Cowboys is financed by Tucker Tooley Entertainment, who are also producing alongside Lee Daniels Entertainment, Elba’s Green Door Pictures, Walser and Waxylu Films’ Jennifer Madeloff and Jeff Waxman. The executive producers are Greg Renker, Jason Barhydt, Sam Mercer, Tegan Jones, Staci Hagenbaugh and Neri.

Also due to shoot in Philadelphia, in October, is Joshua Michael Stern’s drama After Exile, starring Robert De Niro and Shia LaBeouf.

The film is about an ex con, Mike Delaney (LaBeouf) who, after being released from prison for killing an innocent man after a violent robbery, must re-enter his old life where he and his ex-criminal father (De Niro) attempt to save his younger brother from a life of drugs and crime.

The film is being produced by Anthony Thorne and Steve Snyder of Pacific Shore Films.