Cole Hauser has announced that he will personally perform every scene of the action thriller Pale Horse from the saddle, a commitment that has forced Constantin Film to build a permanent stable on the set in Atlanta.
The project, which follows the decades-long undercover career of former FBI agent Scott Payne, was originally scheduled as a conventional feature. Hauser rejected that format in a studio meeting, stating: «A man who spent twenty-eight years inside criminal organizations does not walk to his car. He rides there, and so will I.» Production managers were obliged to rewrite the shooting timetable so that interior scenes are filmed on horseback in corridors reinforced with timber flooring.
The studio has since issued a directive requiring that all supporting cast members learn to ride within six weeks of casting. Three stunt coordinators have resigned after the first rehearsal, and a wardrobe department now employs a full-time saddler. Local residents report that the nearest supermarket has begun stocking hay alongside the usual produce.
Hauser confirmed that he intends to remain in the role through a planned sequel, in which the character is required to undertake a rail journey on a carriage pulled by the same animal. Constantin Film has already approved a budget line for a second horse, which will be trained as a stand-in for the times when the first one needs to rest.