# How Bill Paxton’s Son Took Over His Father’s Role in a Western 35 Years in the Making

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/how-bill-paxtons-son-took-over-his-fathers-role-in-a-western-35-years-in-the-making/
- Published: 2026-10-29T15:04:51+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-29T15:36:20+00:00
- Original publisher: The Hollywood Reporter
- Original article: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/bill-paxton-son-last-train-to-fortune-malcolm-mcdowell-1236742579/
- Topics: Business, Markets

## Key points

- A Western comedy reaches video-on-demand after 35 years.
- James Paxton takes the role once planned for Bill Paxton.
- Malcolm McDowell reunites on screen with Mary Steenburgen.

## Summary

After 35 years of delays, the Western comedy *Last Train to Fortune* is reaching viewers on video-on-demand from 6 November. Malcolm McDowell stars as a cheerful educator, with James Paxton taking the outlaw role originally intended for his father, Bill Paxton, who died in 2017.

The project was planned in 1991 with director Lindsay Anderson, who died before it could be made. Producer Brad Wyman later revived the script, written by Michele Rifkin, and her son Adam directed the film. Mary Steenburgen also reunited with McDowell on screen; the film has an 86 per cent positive Rotten Tomatoes score and is available to rent or buy.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.