More than a decade since it was cancelled, and close to two since HBO confirmed their interest in reviving the series, Deadwood finally looks set to make its return some time in late 2018.
Chronicling the final days of the eponymous town most emblematic of the ‘lawless West’, the show’s reverence for period violence and the power of profanity endeared it to global fanbase. Having been unceremoniously axed in 2006, this news is the glimmer of hope many have been waiting for. That, or yet more kindling to fuel concerns over the studio’s apparent need to appeal to an even broader audience.
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However, if the testimony of W Earl Brown and Paula Malcomson (who play Dan and Trixie respectively) is to be believed, fans have little to worry about. “The hour and (a) half it took me to read [the script] was fucking thrilling and fucking heart-breaking”, effused Brown in a series of tweets. When asked about the direction the feature-length project was being taken in, Malcomson described it as “a big Valentine to Trixie and Al”. HBO’s head of programming Casey Bloys has hinted that series creator David Milch has “totally delivered”.
For now nothing seems set in stone, with rumours circulating that the film with explore the burning of the town in 1879, which destroyed much of its infrastructure. But with all the key players on board, including Ian McShane as saloon keeper Al Swearengen, Milch has a good chance of appeasing fans – if his script maintains the visceral allure of the original series. What would you like to see from the Deadwood movie? Let us know @LWLies
