'Only The Brave' Red Carpet Premiere Brings Out The Stars

On Tuesday, October 10, Tempe, Arizona, was the center of the movie universe as the city hosted the red carpet premiere of Joseph Kosinski’s new film, Only The Brave. The film stars Josh Brolin, Jeff Bridges, James Badge Dale, Miles Teller, and Jennifer Connelly, and is the story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a group of brave, dedicated firefighters in Arizona who gave up their lives fighting a devastating wildfire in late June of 2013.

The Yarnell Hill Fire, and the loss of the 19 firefighters who died in the line of duty, rocked the entire state of Arizona, and the red carpet premiere of Only The Brave invited many first responders, firefighters, and the families of the fallen to participate in the film’s celebration of their memory in Tempe. Actors Josh Brolin, James Badge Dale, and Miles Teller were in attendance, as well as the director, Joseph Kosinski, and country singer Dierks Bentley, who penned the film’s theme song, “Hold the Light.” Bentley is a native of Arizona, and working on the project meant something special to him and the Hotshots’ families.

“This film honors their husband’s legacies,” Bentley said.

Director Joseph Kosinski (TRON: Legacy, Oblivion) was adamant that Only The Brave tell the story without politics or blame. He set out to tell the story of the group of men — brothers, really — who loved their jobs, their families, and their community, and gave the ultimate price for that love. His film shines a light on the grueling job that tier 1 open land firefighters do day in and day out.

“I’ve had wives tell me, ‘I didn’t know what my husband did’ until they saw this movie,” he said, referring to how the film has been received by the widows and girlfriends of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. “Making this film was fulfilling.”

Below, find some photos taken from the red carpet premiere of Only The Brave in Tempe, Arizona, and our coverage of the film will continue leading up to the release on October 20th. We will have interviews with the cast and director, and our review of the powerful and emotional film.

: Brendan McDonough, the only survivor from the Granite Mountain Hotshots, was in attendance for the premiere in Tempe, AZ.

: Arizona’s Dierks Bentley contributed the song, “Hold The Light” to the film.

: Director Joseph Kosinski has created a powerful story about a group of men who gave all they had for their community.

: Josh Brolin portrays Eric Marsh, the supervisor of the Granite Mountain Hotshots.

: Miles Teller plays Brendan McDonough, the only survivor of the tragedy on Yarnell Hill.

: James Badge Dale portrays Jesse Steed, who lost his life alongside his Hotshot brothers on June 30, 2013.

: A representative from Budweiser was on hand to donate $20,000 to charity established by the cast and crew to benefit the Granite Mountain families and community.

Only The Brave opens nationwide on October 20, 2017.