It’s been 12 years since David Milch’s beloved Deadwood left television screens after being cancelled by HBO – prematurely, as many argue – after just three seasons. Things were left relatively unresolved, and fans clamoured for a proper ending to the critically-acclaimed show, which ran between 2004 and 2006. And now, over a decade later, it looks like those shouts have been heard.
In a statement released Monday, HBO Films confirmed that a Deadwood movie has begun production. It follows confirmation from back in 2016 that Milch had been given the all-clear to write a script. It’s exciting news for those who have, for years, craved a continuation of the show. What’s even more exciting is that much of the original cast is returning to reprise their television roles.
Ian McShane and Timothy Olphant returning as Al Swearengen and Seth Bullock alongside Molly Parker, Paula Malcomson, John Hawkes, Robin Weigert, Dayton Callie and Anna Gunn just to name a few.
The script has been written, of course, by David Milch, and Daniel Minahan, who directed a handful of episodes in the show’s first two seasons, will be returning for directing duties.
At the moment, there’s little word yet on what exactly the film’s plotline will look like. According to the statement by HBO, the film’s characters are reunited after a decade 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,” apparently.
Watch the trailer for Deadwood‘s first season
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW4Dc-WqvJk
Nominated for 28 Primetime Emmy Awards during its original run, the profanity-laden Deadwood was a show primarily concerned with how communities are developed. Set in South Dakota in 1870, it was praised for its complex, thoughtfully considered characters and compelling storyline. If you’ve never seen it, it’s currently streaming on Stan, so now’s the perfect time to acquaint yourself.
According to HBO’s website the film is due to premiere sometime in 2019. Who knows whether that will turn out to be true, but it looks like, finally, the wait will soon be over.
