Out of all the Western flicks to come out of Hollywood, Valley of Bones sets the stage for the unconventional. Released in 2017, Valley of Bones follows a single mother and an oil worker as they try to make amends for their past by digging the fossil remains of a dinosaur.
This Western crime-thriller holds many surprises, but it also holds many awesome behind-the-scenes facts audiences may have never heard of. With that being said, here are the top 10 awesome facts about Valley of Bones that may have been missed!
It’s A Western Movie About Dinosaurs
First things first, this is a western thriller revolving around dinosaurs. A Tyrannosaurus Rex to be specific.
Besides Jurassic Park and its reboots, Ross from Friends, and The Land Before Time movies, Hollywood doesn’t produce films or television about dinosaurs too often, so it’s unique and refreshing to see a movie about digging up a T-rex fossil in the Badlands of North Dakota.
The Cast Used Flip Phones In The Film
In the age of the iPhone era, flip phones still prevail! The best part about it is that director Dan Glaser gave the characters flip phones in the film to help the movie expand past one time period.
Other timeless objects also occur in this movie, including a cassette tape player used by McCoy.
It Was Shot Within A Month
Usually, movies take about a couple of months to wrap up shooting, but for Valley of Bones, it took at most 30 days!
Since some movies take years, or even decades, to make (take Boyhood, for example), it’s incredulous to think that shooting only took a month at the most.
It Was Shot On The Producer’s Ranch
Jon L. Wanzek of Bad Medicine Films was the writer, producer, and executive producer for Valley of Bones so it’s only fitting that his own ranch was one of the shooting locations for the film.
It’s true - most of the shooting was done in North Dakota, and it was done on Wanzek’s Pitchfork Ranch property near Amidon, North Dakota.
This Is Glaser and Molony’s Third Project Together
Sometimes directors and actors stick together. This is seen with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, and Quentin Tarantino and Leonardo DiCaprio.
But this is also seen with Valley of Bones’ director Dan Glaser and actor Steven Molony. This is their third movie together, with Pinching Penny being the first and Oxenfree being the second!
The Role Of Kimberly Was Played By Alexandra Billings
One of the most notable awesome facts about Valley of Bones is Alexandra Billings.
She plays the role of Kimberly in Valley of Bones, but Billings makes Hollywood history by being the second openly trans woman to have played a transgender character on television. She achieved this feat in 2005 with Romy and Michele: In The Beginning.
The Paleontology Arc Was Inspired By A Real Person
As mentioned earlier, this film was shot on his ranch - Wanzek’ Pitchfork Ranch. According to inforum.com, the idea for Autumn Reeser to dig up a T-rex in North Dakota came from Wanzek himself when he was enamored by tales of digging up ancient history in his home state.
He originally got this idea when he heard stories from a paleontologist in southwestern North Dakota digging up his own dinosaur fossils.
Autumn Reeser's Previous Roles
Before being Anna in Valley of Bones, Autumn Reeser made a name for herself on television!
Not only does she have acting credits for The O.C. and Entourage, but she's also made appearances in lovable television shows such as Pushing Daisies, Ghost Whisperer, George Lopez, and Star Trek. In fact, Star Trek was her first-ever role at age 20.
Rhys Coiro Has An Extensive Theatre History
Like most famous actors and actresses in Hollywood, theatre is a part of life. And for Rhys Coiro, who plays Nate in Valley of Bones, that is no exception. He started out as a stagehand building sets and operating lights as a teenager for the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival. From then on, he'd go on to study theater at Carnegie Mellon University as well as The Moscow Art Theater in Russia.
Lastly, his first professional gig was to understudy three roles in the American premiere of Conor Mherson's off-Broadway play This Lime Tree Bower. Needless to say that Rhys Coiro is undoubtedly a thespian.
The Movie Is A Celebration Of The Past
Like all great films, it's message comes out loud and clear by the end, and for Valley of Bones, it all can be described in one phrase - it's an ode to the past. This film gives many instances of the past, from not only featuring flip phones and a cassette tape but on how both the main characters are battling demons from their past.
Additionally, the film centers around digging up dinosaur fossils, and what better homage to the past than it to ancient creatures that lived thousands upon thousands of years ago? Movies are what you make of it and a celebration of the past is what makes up Valley of Bones.
