That’s what Fort Worth filmmaker Derek Presley is doing with
Whitetail, a Southern Gothic thriller inspired by his upbringing that marks the first feature under the collective known as Muscular Puppy.
The film, which was shot entirely in Johnson County, will debut on Friday with a public screening at the Texas Theatre, with cast and crew in attendance for a Q&A afterward.
Presley is a partner in Muscular Puppy alongside three of his collaborators on the film Alex Blackmon (executive producer), Jason Starne (producer), and Garrett Schwindt (cinematographer). All four have ties to the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
The film chronicles a domineering father (Tom Zembrod) trying to heal his relationship with his brother (Paul Taylor) and teenage son (Dash Melrose) during a weekend hunting trip. However, when they find a wounded man with backpack full of money, they instead become the hunted.