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Deadwood, HBO’s groundbreaking Western drama that last aired more than a decade ago, has been greenlit for a feature-length movie that wraps up its canon. Casey Bloys, the HBO chief of programming, made the announcement during the Television Critics Association press tour this week.
Deadwood, much like the gunfighters appearing within it, had a short run and unceremonious demise, airing three seasons from 2004 to 2006. Nonetheless, it acquired a devoted fan following for its violent and vulgar depiction of the United States frontier and the unromantic truth of its settlement. Timothy Olyphant starred as Seth Bullock, the Dakota Territory’s U.S. Marshal and hardware purveyor.
A feature-length Deadwood had been rumored for years, ever since the show’s cancellation and a season three finale that many viewers found inconclusive. Olyphant himself said back in March, on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live, that he doubted it would ever come to pass. Ian McShane (who portrays Al Swearengen, proprietor of The Gem Saloon) also said in 2017 that a completed script had been sent to the network, but he didn’t seem confident that it would come to pass.
But now it has. Bloys today said that David Milch, the series’ creator, wrote the movie, and Daniel Minahan, who directed episodes 8 and 10 of the first season, is aboard to direct. Shooting will begin in October with a release planned sometime for 2019. Cast members are not yet known.
