Synopsis

In 1890, disgraced cowboy and long-distance rider Frank Hopkins is invited to compete in the Ocean of Fire, a grueling 3,000-mile endurance race across the Arabian Desert. Riding Hidalgo, his mustang, Frank faces elite Bedouin horsemen, brutal terrain, treacherous rivals, and painful memories from his past. The race becomes a test of endurance, identity, and redemption far beyond the finish line.

Factoids & Trivia

• Hidalgo was released in the United States on March 5, 2004, through Touchstone Pictures.

• The story is based on the legend of Frank T. Hopkins and his mustang, Hidalgo. Although the film was marketed as an incredible true story, historians have questioned whether Hopkins' background and the Arabian race actually existed as described.

• Screenwriter John Fusco developed the idea while researching his earlier film Thunderheart. He later said that the movie deliberately heightened the source material to create a theatrical adventure.

• Lakota historians, spiritual leaders, and cultural consultants were involved with the production's Native American sequences. Several performers had previously worked with Fusco on Thunderheart and Dreamkeeper.

• Filming took place in Morocco and several parts of the United States, including South Dakota and Montana. The American locations supplied the landscapes used for both the Western scenes and portions of the horse sequences.

• Viggo Mortensen performed many of the riding and stunt sequences himself. After production ended, he purchased T.J., the horse that portrayed Hidalgo.

• The climactic horse sequence required approximately 550 horses. Because the animals came from different owners, identifying brands were used to keep track of them during filming.

• The film received the American Humane Society's "No Animals Were Harmed" certification. The organization reported that the production took extensive precautions while working with its large number of horses.