A New Type of Western...
The true story of three young men in 1973 who become mountain men and ride on horseback from Phoenix to Calgary. They set out crossing the wild in hopes of reaching the world’s largest rodeo and an audience with the Queen.
Returning home from war.
After returning to Phoenix from Vietnam, Jeff Hengesbaugh finds only a country at war with itself. Haunted by what he’s seen, he wants to leave.
An Idea...
As a child, Hengesbaugh fell in love with the heroism and adventure of the westerns he watched on television. When life at home grew heavy, he sought those same feelings in the wilderness, imagining the brave, self-reliant men he had seen on screen. He dreamed of becoming one of them. Now, he believed his chance had come.
He gathered two friends to join him. They bought horses, made their own clothes, and equipped themselves with 1880s gear before setting out into the wild. They would be facing death each day in pursuit of something more elusive: life.
They aimed to leave the rat race behind and enter the beauty of nature, where survival was the only concern, where life might be lived as God intended. A great adventure. West from Phoenix, then north past Palm Springs, all the way to Canada.
The Real Men
"A chord of three is not easily broken."
THE JOURNEY
These are the real guys talking about the journey!
TURNING THIS INTO A MOVIE
This project transforms a legendary true journey into an immersive cinematic experience — blending sweeping landscapes, intimate character drama, and raw survival storytelling.
The film emphasizes authenticity over spectacle, placing audiences directly alongside the riders as they confront nature, each other, and themselves.
THE CRAFT
Tone
A rugged yet heartfelt journey across the American wilderness, Kings of the Wild balances raw survival drama with charm, wit, and the restless energy of youth in search of meaning. The film embraces the romance of the open road while quietly revealing the cost of chasing legend, unfolding as both a grand adventure and an intimate portrait of friendship. Its tone is reflective, humorous, and deeply human.
Tonally aligned with: Jeremiah Johnson, Easy Rider, True Grit, and character-driven American epics like Forrest Gump.
Budget
Kings of the Wild is designed as a scalable independent production capable of delivering cinematic scope within a disciplined budget range. The film can be executed responsibly at multiple financing levels while preserving its core story, authenticity, and visual impact.
Lean Production Model — $500K–$800K
A tightly focused independent production emphasizing natural locations, a streamlined schedule, and a small principal cast. This approach prioritizes performances, realism, and atmosphere while maintaining strong production value through efficient planning.
Mid Level Production Model — $1M–$1.5M
The optimal financing range, allowing for expanded shooting time, enhanced production design, experienced department heads, and increased flexibility in locations and logistics while preserving the film’s grounded tone.
Expanded Production Scope — $2M+
An enhanced version supporting a longer schedule, additional locations, larger crew capacity, and elevated post-production resources, maximizing cinematic scale and distribution readiness without altering the film’s core identity.
Audience
The film is designed to resonate strongly with young men drawn to stories of adventure, freedom, and the test of character beyond modern life. Through brotherhood, hardship, and self-discovery, it portrays a journey into adulthood that also exposes vulnerability, loyalty, and the desire to become worthy of love — qualities that extend its appeal beyond a single demographic. For older audiences, especially those shaped by the spirit of the 1970s, the story recalls an era defined by independence, exploration, and the pull of the frontier, bridging generations through shared ideals.
Status
After an extensive development process spanning more than twenty screenplay drafts, Kings of the Wild has entered the financing phase. Pledged investors have committed support, the project operates through a dedicated LLC production structure, and a fiscal sponsorship has been established to facilitate tax-deductible participation. The screenplay is currently circulating to partners while distribution pathways are being explored, preparing the film to advance into pre-production upon securing financing.
Production
The film will be shot primarily on authentic outdoor locations, using natural environments to create scale and immersion without reliance on costly sets or visual effects. A streamlined cast and carefully structured schedule enable the production to balance cinematic ambition with efficiency. The narrative is driven by three compelling emerging leads who embody the spirit and authenticity of the real-life participants, complemented by established actors in supporting roles to anchor the film with experience and recognizable presence. This approach emphasizes performance, atmosphere, and realism as the primary engines of storytelling.
About the Filmmakers
Get in Touch
Kings of the Wild is currently seeking strategic investment partners to help bring this ambitious independent feature to completion. Participation is available through the project’s dedicated LLC production entity, with potential Executive Producer credit and profit participation based on contribution level. Tax-deductible contributions may also be made through the project’s fiscal sponsor.
Detailed investment materials, including the full business plan and offering information, are available upon request.
954-254-7594
