Geoff Meed in BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE WILD BUNCH | ©2023 Tubi
BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE WILD BUNCH, which made its debut this week on Tubi, is a Western that tells a new version of the legend of Butch Cassidy (Ross Jirgl), aka Robert Parker, in the days before he teamed up with the Sundance Kid (Jilon VanOver). The film also stars Bruce Dern and Dee Wallace as Butch’s foster parents, and Jeffrey Combs as lawman Charles Siringo, determined to bring Butch and his gang in by any means necessary.
The screenplay for BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE WILD BUNCH was written by Geoff Meed, who also costars as Butch’s surly colleague Kid Curry.
Meed began his performing career as a stuntman in shows at the Universal Studios tour in Hollywood. As an actor, Meed has appeared in films including LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION, 100 MILLION BC, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, and FAST FIVE, and TV series including CSI, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (in four different roles), STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE, THE SHIELD, and S.W.A.T.
Meed has also written almost twenty feature films, including UNIVERSAL SOLDIERS, THE AMITYVILLE HAUNTING, OPERATION DUNKIRK, and the upcoming BUTCH CASSIDY sequel, BUTCH VS. SUNDANCE, as well as
Besides the BUTCH CASSIDY features, other films that Meed wrote and has also acted in include I AM OMEGA, 6 GUNS, and D-DAY: BATTLE OF OMAHA BEACH.
Geoff Meed in BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE WILD BUNCH | ©2023 Tubi
In an exclusive interview, Meed discusses the outlawry of BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE WILD BUNCH on both sides of the camera.
ASSIGNMENT X: Did you originate the script for BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE WILD BUNCH, or did the producers come to you with the project?
GEOFF MEED: I was approached to write the script by the producers. I had written another Western for them, years ago, called 6 GUNS.
AX: When you started, how much did you know about this era in the West and the various people and organizations involved?
MEED: I had a decent knowledge of most of them. After my father retired, he took up writing nonfiction Texas history books centered around the late 1800s and early 1900s. So, some of these characters found their way briefly at times into some of the stories.
AX: Did you revisit BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID, THE WILD BUNCH, or any other Western films before crafting this project?
MEED: Whenever I’m given a script assignment where there have been other movies or TV shows about that specific topic, I absolutely do not watch them. I don’t want anything interfering with my own thoughts. I did, however, rewatch my favorite Western, ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST to get my mind going.
AX: That’s your favorite Western?
MEED: Hands down. [There isn’t] even a close second for me.
Ginger T. Rex is Laura Bullion, Geoff Meed is Kid Curry, and Vic Browder as Eddie in BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE WILD BUNCH | ©2023 Tubi
AX: What sort of research did you do?
MEED: I try to keep my research to legitimate known sites, such as the History Channel, or quick-skimming books.
AX: How closely do you feel the movie follows Butch Cassidy’s real story?
MEED: Eh, maybe sixty percent.
AX: You previously wrote another Western. What were the differences between the two projects?
MEED: 6 GUNS was the usual victim turned vigilante story. Some people compared it to HANNIE CAULDER [which starred Raquel Welch], but even though I was always a Raquel Welch fan, I never saw it. But in 6 GUNS, the hero was loosely based on a real person named William “Dave” Allison, whom I had learned about in one of my father’s books, BLOODY BORDER. So, that story was made up, while I stuck more closely to the truth with the BUTCH CASSIDY movie.
AX: Was there anything in the research that surprised you/changed anything you were writing?
MEED: No, nothing stood out.
AX: What were other factors that affected the script?
MEED: Well, Charlie Siringo was certainly not a bad guy. So, making a hero into a villain was different. I wrote Tom Horn [Siringo’s fellow lawman, played by Anthony Palermo] pretty close to reality; he was willing to do what was needed.
AX: Were there characters from Butch Cassidy lore that you wanted to include, but couldn’t or didn’t?
MEED: Harry Tracy. I didn’t include him, because he was another real bad dude, and we already had Siringo, Horn, and Curry. Tracy didn’t really run too much with the Wild Bunch anyway, except once or twice. But one of the characters does mention him, so possibly he might appear in the future.
AX: Did you write the part of Kid Curry for yourself?
MEED: I originally wrote Tom Horn for myself, and Kid Curry as a backup. When I was told we’d be doing a sequel, I asked to do Curry because he has a “change” in the sequel.
Ross Jirgl as Butch Cassidy, Geoff Meed is Kid Curry, and Jilon VanOver as The Sundance Kid in BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE WILD BUNCH | ©2023 Tubi
AX: Was it helpful to be both an actor and a writer on the project? Did that come into play while filming?
MEED: The only good thing about that was I made sure my dialogue wasn’t too lengthy or difficult.
AX: Were there any characters that were especially fun/challenging to write?
MEED: Etta Place [Sundance’s outlaw lover]. But Nikki Leigh [who plays the character] really brought her to life. I rarely get an opportunity to write a character like Sundance, so that too was challenging. Siringo, Horn, and Curry are roles I can write in my sleep.
AX: How do you feel about the performances of Ross Jirgl as Butch and Jilon VanOver as Sundance?
MEED: I think these guys put [Paul] Newman and [Robert] Redford [in BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID] to shame, to be honest.
AX: Does your background in stunts help you in envisioning/writing action sequences?
MEED: Absolutely. I also worked a lot in nightclub and rock concert security, plus the personal protection arena, so first-hand experience of all that violence helps, too [laughs].
AX: How was it working with BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE WILD BUNCH director Anthony C. Ferrante?
MEED: It was a good collaborative effort. I usually don’t work that closely with directors, but it definitely helped the project immensely.
AX: What were some of the challenges you had during filming?
MEED: Too many to list, to be honest [laughs]. But COVID was obviously a major issue. I also always try to get my dogs in the movies I write and act in. Sadly, they didn’t make it into this one.
BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE WILD BUNCH movie poster | ©2023 Tubi
AX: Did you form a bond with the other actors who played the rest of the Wild Bunch?
MEED: When you spend that much time with the actors, you bond. But once the job is over, everyone pretty much goes their separate ways back to where their lives take them. That is, until you run into each other again, and then you act like best friends.
AX: Why do you think Westerns have become so popular again lately? Do you think YELLOWSTONE started that, or is it part of the trend?
MEED: I think it’s just cyclical. Once the market is over-saturated with Westerns, it’ll go back to war, aliens, disasters, or whatever. Personally, I’m waiting for a revival of the Prohibition gangster era.
AX: What do you most hope audiences will get out of BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE WILD BUNCH?
MEED: Ninety minutes of entertainment.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE WILD BUNCH ON TUBI
Related: Trailer Debut: BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE WILD BUNCH on Tubi
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Article: Exclusive interview: Writer and actor Geoff Meed talks about new Tubi western BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE WILD BUNCH
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