Rivers wild

Ethan Hawke narrates new documentary that deep-dives into Texas rivers

The Rio Grande is one of the stunning subjects of Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers.

Cropped still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

One Texas film icon passes the torch to another for a deep dive on Texas' river ecosystems in the upcoming documentary Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers. Matthew McConaughey narrated the original 2022 film, Deep in the Heart: A Texas Wildlife Story. Now Ethan Hawke narrates the follow-up, which will be in theaters September 25.

Deep in the Heart 2 is directed by Ben Masters, a nature-obsessed Texan who was born and raised in Amarillo and has followed wildlife around the state and beyond. Working with his crew at Fin & Fur Films, Masters explores the Rio Grande, the Sabine River, and the Neches River, a press release says, coming across otters, turkeys, alligator snapping turtles, and more.

This underwater shot was taken in San Marcos.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The original Deep in the Heart took a broad view of Texas — both its landscapes and their inhabitants — while the "sequel," as the release calls it, specifically highlights water. Conservation is an important angle, and viewers will get a chance to consider how they could connect with and protect the ecosystems on their screens.

"Most of my favorite memories are on Texas Rivers," said Masters in the release. "I grew up on the Canadian, fell in love on the Brazos, got married on the Guadalupe, found adventure on the Rio Grande, and am raising my kids on the Colorado."

The filmmaker says that spending three years filming his natural subjects gave him "a newfound appreciation" for rivers and how distinct they are from one another.

Amazing cinematography was a hallmark of the original film, and the sequel offers more beautiful shots.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

"We spent months filming mountain lions on the Pecos, snapping turtles on the Neches, otters on the Sabine, fatmuckets on the Llano, and whooping cranes in the Guadalupe's Estuary," Masters said. "Editing the majesty of Texas Rivers into 80 minutes was a huge challenge, and I'm just incredibly grateful to work with such a talented team of cinematographers, editors, producers, and musicians."

Hawke, born in Austin and raised in Fort Worth, is known for acting in the Dead Poets Society, Gattaca, the Richard Linklater films Boyhood and Blue Moon, and more. He has taken up causes in environmental advocacy for years and appeared in other ecology-focused films, including the intense fictional First Reformed (2018) and a goofy anti-littering PSA with TxDOT (2023).

Some unexpected guests in the Rio Grande.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The film was made in association with H-E-B, a regular supporter of ecological documentaries and initiatives, and conservation organization Texan by Nature. Other collaborators include producer Josh Winkler, editor Sam Klatt, assistant editor Chet Stefan, and composer Noah Sorota. The musical score is performed by Dallas Chamber Symphony.

animals documentaries ecology ethan hawke film matthew mcconaughey movies nature texas wildlife

Credit score

Shaquille O'Neal to school SMU students about money before DJing at campus

Courtesy photo

Shaquille O'Neal is going on tour to teach college students about financial credit.

Shaquille O’Neal is going back to school to teach about a subject he now knows well - money. The NBA legend, entrepreneur, philanthropist, sports analyst, and DJ is hitting the road to colleges around the country on a tour called the Credit One Bank Credit Tip Off Tour , starting at SMU’s Moody Coliseum on Monday, September 14.

According to a release, the free event will include a conversation about credit and a live DJ set from O’Neal, better known behind the turntables as DJ Diesel.

But it is not open to the public. Attendance is limited to just 500 enrolled SMU students, who must register for tickets.

O’Neal will be joined at SMU by Credit One Bank Chief Marketing Officer Michael Coleman. Sports creator and host Jenna Bandy will moderate the conversation.

The tour is designed to give college students practical information about building credit and avoiding common mistakes, the release says. Each event will include interactive games and activities before O’Neal takes over as DJ Diesel.

“Credit education isn’t often taught in school, so we built this tour with Shaquille O’Neal to help close that gap and empower young people to make informed credit decisions,” says Michael Coleman, Chief Marketing Officer at Credit One Bank, in the release. “As the brand that believes in forward momentum, we’re meeting students where they are to kick-start their credit education in a memorable, engaging way and help set them up for a successful financial future.”

The tour will address basics such as making payments on time, credit utilization, credit history, and credit mix. It will also feature the Credit Wreckers, a group of characters representing common credit mistakes, including Miss Payment, Max Out, Cancelina, and One Track Jack.

O’Neal says he learned about credit through his own mistakes and hopes to pass those lessons along to younger people.

“I’m always learning, I never stop,” O’Neal says in the release. “I learned credit the hard way. Nobody broke it down for me back then. Now I’ve got kids in college, kids right out of it, and I want them starting smarter than I did. That’s what the Credit One Bank Credit Tip Off Tour is about. And yeah, we’re still going to have fun.”

SMU is a natural place for the tour to start. O’Neal has lived part-time in the Dallas area since 2022, when he bought a $1.2 million Carrollton mansion. He sold it for $1.7 million and moved into his current 5,100 square-foot, approximately $2 million Rockwall County estate in 2024.

Since then, sightings of the megastar abound around Dallas-Fort Worth. In Mesquite in 2024, he treated 20 students to $500 shopping sprees at JCPenney. On another occasion he gave a $500 gift card to a couple he met at Fort Worth’s JCPenney, which they paid forward to children in need. And earlier this year at the Rockwall Target, he distributed $100 bills to shoppers at random. He's also behind the Big Chicken restaurant franchise, whose Fort Worth location recently closed.

In early July, a video of O'Neal cruising a Dallas lake in custom '64 Chevy Impala boat went viral.

After SMU, the tour will head to Georgia State University on October 23, Fred’s Bar in Baton Rouge on November 6, and Florida Atlantic University on November 9.

O’Neal’s tour is being produced by Medium Rare, the team behind events including Shaq’s Fun House, Travis Kelce’s Kelce Jam, and Dave Portnoy’s One Bite Pizza Fest.

The SMU event is free and open to 500 enrolled students. Registration is available through the Credit Tip Off Tour website.

shaquille oneal smu shaquille o'neal