HBO to Resurrect DEADWOOD

A modern western may be making a return to cable television.

HBO is reportedly looking to make a feature-length film based on DEADWOOD, a television show from 2004 about the old American west. The original show ran for three seasons before its sudden cancellation. Creator David Milch is reportedly already at work on the script for the film, with HBO's enthusiastic blessing.

"David has our commitment that we are going to do it," HBO president Michael Lombardo says. "He pitched what he thought generally the storyline would be - and knowing David, that could change. But it's going to happen." The one challenge the reboot may encounter is being able to get all the show's now busy original stars- Ian McShane, Timothy Olyphant, Anna Gunn and Kim Dickens- on board.

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Deadwood is an American western television series created, produced, and largely written by David Milch and aired on the premium cable network HBO from March 21, 2004, to August 27, 2006, spanning three 12-episode seasons. The show is set in the 1870s in Deadwood, South Dakota, before and after the area's annexation by the Dakota Territory. The series charts Deadwood's growth from camp to town, incorporating themes ranging from the formation of communities to western capitalism. The show features a large ensemble cast, and many historical figures appear as characters-such as Seth Bullock, Al Swearengen, Wild Bill Hickok, Sol Star, Calamity Jane, Wyatt Earp, George Crook, E. B. Farnum, Charlie Utter, Jack McCall, and George Hearst. The plot lines involving these characters include historical truths as well as substantial fictional elements. Milch used actual diaries and newspapers from 1870s Deadwood residents as reference points for characters, events, and the look and feel of the show. Some of the characters are fully fictional, although they may have been based on actual persons.

Deadwood received wide critical acclaim, particularly for Milch's writing and Ian McShane's co-lead performance. It also won eight Emmy Awards (in 28 nominations) and one Golden Globe. TV Guide ranked it #8 on their 2013 list of 60 shows that were "Cancelled Too Soon". There were initial plans to conclude the series with two TV films, but those plans never came to fruition. In 2015, talks resumed between HBO and Milch, and in January 2016, HBO green-lit a script to be written.

The show was produced by Red Board Productions and Roscoe Productions in association with HBO and Paramount Network Television (CBS Paramount Network Television in season 3).

Source: New York Times

Photo credit: HBO

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