Wyoming has a reputation for being difficult to film in, despite many popular stories being set here, but an adventure show starring Bradley Cooper could change that.
“When this show airs, it will advertise Wyoming, which is just fantastic,” Kelly Eastes, film liaison for the Film Casper branch of Visit Casper, told Cowboy State Daily.
Cooper, who starred in such Hollywood hits as “American Sniper” and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” is featured in an upcoming episode of “Running Wild Bear Grylls: The Challenge.” The episode premiers at 7 p.m. Sunday on the National Geographic Channel.
It was filmed in November in the rugged Fremont Canyon area southwest of Casper.
Another episode of the show was shot in March in the Laramie Mountains near Douglas and features “She-Hulk” star Tatiana Maslany. That episode premiers at 7 p.m. Aug. 27.
Both episodes will later be available on the Disney+ streaming service.
Breaking Into The Wyoming Film Business
In addition to putting some of Wyoming’s best scenery before worldwide audiences, Eastes said he hopes the episodes of Grylls’ shows will pave the way for more projects to be shot on location in the Cowboy State.
Wyoming has been the setting for many shows and movies, such as the wildly popular “Longmire” series, that weren’t actually filmed here.
The Cowboy State’s isolation has something to do with that, but it’s also because Wyoming doesn’t offer incentives for film companies, Eastes said.
For example, Montana offers up to $80 million in tax break incentives for crews to shoot on location there, he said.
“People get wound up thinking we’re giving Hollywood money (by offering incentives). But were not giving them money, we’re just giving them a break on their taxes to film here,” he said. “And these folks (Grylls’ crew) weren’t even from Hollywood. Most of these guys are from Great Britian.”
You Want Locations? Wyoming Has Plenty
Grylls is from the United Kingdom, and his show features adventure challenges in rugged locations around the globe, Eastes said.
“It’s like an adventure talk show,” he said.
He said the show’s producers reached out to him months ago.
“They reached out to us just looking for locations they hadn’t used before,” Eastes said. “Wyoming was perfect for them, as an adventure show that’s set out in the middle of nowhere — that’s something we have plenty of.”
Locations scouts made a few ventures out to Wyoming before the full cast and crew arrived, Eastes said. The episode shot near Casper features Grylls and Cooper taking on several challenges, such as climbing canyon walls, or using ropes to traverse across chasms.
Bear Grylls and actor Bradley Cooper take a meal break hanging from a sheer cliff wall in Wyoming. (Cowboy State Daily Staff) 
(Cowboy State Daily Staff)
Economic Shot In The Arm
Getting a high-profile show to shoot not just one, but two episodes in Wyoming bodes well for the state’s budding film industry, he said, which dovetails in with the broader tourism economy.
“These were some of the most fantastic film crews I’ve worked with,” he said, adding that numerous locals were hired to help with the production.
Film crews also took advantage of many local goods and services, he said.
“They come in, they do their show and they spend their money while their here,” Eastes said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
