With the hit series 1923 having come to a heartbreaking end this week, fans are certainly itching for the next buzzy TV western — be it from Taylor Sheridan or otherwise. Netflix subscribers are in luck this month, with Ransom Canyon dropping April 17. It’s led by a cast of big names including Josh Duhamel (Transformers), Minka Kelly (Euphoria) and Jack Schumacher (Top Gun: Maverick), the latter of whom recently opened up to MovieWeb about the highly anticipated series. Those who have seen the trailer for Ransom Canyon might draw comparisons to Yellowstone, Sheridan’s O.G. show that started his saga on an entirely different streamer. Schumacher had some thoughts for us on this potential parallel.
“Who wouldn’t want the success of what Taylor Sheridan has done with the Yellowstone franchise? I mean, it’s a phenomenal show. And all the spin-offs are almost even, like, better. I mean, I’m a huge fan,” Schumacher told us, adding:
“The great thing about Ransom is that it doesn’t try to be Yellowstone. It exists in its own thing… It leans heavier into the romance… You don’t turn it on and go like, ‘Oh, this is like a knockoff,’ you know? It exists in its own world. So I’m very excited at that because I think that’s probably a concern for a lot of people going into it, and I’m sure that people who are turning it on might be thinking that’s what they’re getting into. And I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised to know that that is not the case.”
April 17, 2025
Netflix
April Blair
Amanda Marsalis
April Blair
In addition to a number of dramatic and emotionally intense scenes in Ransom Canyon, Schumacher’s character, Yancy, also showcases his set of cowboy skills, riding anything from horses to bulls. “We had extensive horseback-riding training. We had cowboy camp every day for, you know, the first few months, which is an exhausting process,” Schumacher said regarding his prep for the show.
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“But by the end, it’s amazing how much you’re able to be comfortable on a horse,” continued Shumacher. “For me in particular, I had a lot of bull-riding training and a lot of work on bull-riding dummies and things like that. And then, also just the small movements and different things that sort of go into making what an authentic bull rider would do.” Schumacher — who is known for going shirtless for some of his roles — shared more about his physical transformation for the role of Yancy:
“I’m playing like a pretty strong, tough cowboy. So I put on a little weight, and I wanted to put on some muscle for this. So I probably put on, like, 15 to 20 pounds to play the part, which I’m grateful for, because I normally have to cut weight to, look super cut. And I wanted him to be, like, a little bit beefier and kind of that corn-fed, like, strong cowboy sort of thing. And with that comes lots of time in the gym. So, luckily, I enjoy doing that. But, yeah, it is very, very tiring overall, especially when you have to do it for like a six-month period.”
Check out the end result for yourself. Ransom Canyon will begin streaming on Netflix April 17. You can watch it then through the link below:
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