Grammy-winning songwriter, solo artist and CREED frontman Scott Stapp has released “Deadman’s Trigger: A Short Film”. The nine-minute, 13-second short co-stars Scott Stapp and his seven-year-old son Anthony Stapp and was directed by Tyler Dunning Evans, with music by Scott Stapp. The film features “Deadman’s Trigger”, the third single from his chart-topping solo album “Higher Power”, which came out in March 2024 via Napalm Records. The track is climbing the rock charts now after two consecutive radio hits, “Higher Power” and “Black Butterfly”, reached Top Ten and Top Five, respectively.
As the inspiration and soundtrack for the father/son saga, “Deadman’s Trigger” is an explosive track that pulses with sonic swagger, anguish, and idealism.
Executive director Jason Lipshutz comments: “In the middle of another successful touring season for his reunited band CREED, Scott Stapp has offered something unexpected: a nine-minute high-octane short film in which he stars as a man of faith who, Lord forgive him, has to go back to the old him.”
The rock-fueled Western was shot over two days at Whitehorse Ranch in Landers, California. It’s a classic Hollywood showdown as a man of faith, haunted by unspeakable nightmares and villains, is forced to take matters into his own hands when what he loves is threatened. In a hail of Hellfire he protects, and is saved in return, by an unlikely hero.
Online speculation about the premiere began when a live-action trailer framed by film credits appeared on Monday (July 28). In it, a fully loaded cowboy strolls frame as Old West music conjures Doc Holliday, cracked earth, and tumbleweeds. Their questions were answered when “Deadman’s Trigger: A Short Film” premiered Thursday, July 31, exclusively on YouTube.
Director Tyler Dunning Evans says: “Adapting Scott‘s storyline for the screen was easy because he is a narrative songwriter; the arc is already there. As a collaborator, he’s clear on his vision and values other creators’ expertise. With Anthony on set and Milan working behind the scenes, Scott was hands-on in establishing safety measures and his love for his kids translated to a vulnerable but fierce performance in the final cut.”
One of the most iconic voices in rock, Stapp first emerged as the high-energy, post-grunge frontman of CREED. He penned anthems like “Higher”, “My Own Prison”, “My Sacrifice”, “With Arms Wide Open”, “What If”, “Say I” and “One”, and the band sold over 50 million albums, including a diamond certification. Throughout the early 2000s, CREED broke airplay records, sold out arenas, earned Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards and a Grammy for “Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group”. As a solo artist, Stapp has released the platinum-certified “The Great Divide” (2005),“Proof Of Life” (2013),“The Space Between The Shadows” (2019),and “Higher Power”.
In 2024, after an 11-year hiatus, CREED announced two “Summer Of ’99” cruise festivals, a North American tour, and the band’s own rock festival. After each event sold out, the tour was extended into 2025, their third sold-out CREED cruise sailed (with plans to sail again in 2026),and their festival grew into a two-day event in Milwaukee in July. The Grammy– and American Music Award-winning CREED formed in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1994. Now, they’ve exceeded one billion streams on Spotify alone, between “Higher”, “My Sacrifice”, “One Last Breath”, “With Arms Wide Open” and “My Own Prison”. Nearly 30 years after CREED‘s formation, the anthems composed by singer Scott Stapp and guitarist Mark Tremonti have become part of rock and alternative’s DNA. “My Own Prison” (1997) is one of the late 20th century’s biggest debuts. “Human Clay” (1999) and “Weathered” (2001) entered the Billboard 200 chart at No. 1. Their “Full Circle” (2009) album debuted at No. 1 on the Top Rock, Hard Rock, and Alternative charts and No. 2 on the Billboard 200. With over 53 million albums sold worldwide, CREED stands alongside VAN HALEN, GUNS N’ ROSES and METALLICA as one of an elite few rock bands to earn RIAA diamond-certified status, for more than 11 million sales of “Human Clay” in the U.S.
