Production Officially Begins on the Long-Awaited ‘Deadwood’ Movie — With Tons of Returning Stars
For every 10 TV revivals, maybe one of them is really good and necessary — but hey, one is better than none. And all these bygone shows getting a new lease on life means the ones we really want to come back do get a second chance. Like Deadwood, HBO’s late, lamented Western from 2004 through 2006. Canceled after just three seasons and 36, episodes, fans have hounded HBO for years for more. And now it’s finally happening.
Via press release, HBO announced that the Deadwood film is actively in production, with a script by series creator David Milch and direction by Daniel Minahan, who helmed episodes of the original series, along with other prestige dramas like Game of Thrones and Six Feet Under. Here’s the official plot synopsis:
In the “Deadwood” film, the indelible characters of the series are reunited after ten years to celebrate South Dakota’s statehood. Former rivalries are reignited, alliances are tested and old wounds are reopened, as all are left to navigate the inevitable changes that modernity and time have wrought.
Entertainment Weekly has a cast list. Timothy Olyphant and Ian McShane are both back as Seth Bullock and Al Swearengen, respectively, joined by:
Here’s the confirmed list of returning cast members and, as you can see, it’s the entire core group: Molly Parker (Alma Ellsworth), Paula Malcomson (Trixie), John Hawkes (Sol Star), Anna Gunn (Martha Bullock), Dayton Callie (Charlie Utter), Brad Dourif (Doc Cochran), Robin Weigert (“Calamity” Jane Canary), William Sanderson (E.B. Farnum), Kim Dickens (Joanie Stubbs) and Gerald McRaney (George Hearst). The film will also feature new cast member, Jade Pettyjohn (playing Caroline).
In other words, it’s about as legit a Deadwood reunion as you could hope to see. (The key missing cast member, Powers Boothe, died in 2017.) The Deadwood movie is expected to air in 2019.