'Deadwood: The Movie' release date, plot, cast, trailer, news and everything else about the film
TV shows and movies which rely heavily on the Old Wild West always carry the subtle charm of prudence in them and HBO's series 'Deadwood' had mastered the craft. The series, which aired between March 2004 and August 2006, revolved around the titular town set in the 1870s tracing its growth and expansion until the area was annexed by the Dakota Territory. The show remained relevant to its period by introducing several historical figures as characters, such as George Crook, Wyatt Earp, and E. B. Farnum, and each of them, quite rightfully, had added to the plot's social and political dynamics. Now, after a terribly long wait, 'Deadwood: The Movie' is finally happening and as we know, it is set almost 10 years after where Season 3 of the television series had left.
As the movie is set to premiere on HBO this year in the summer, here's all you need to know about the upcoming movie adaptation of an iconic TV series:
Release date:
'Deadwood: The Movie' will air on HBO on May 31.
Plot:
The story follows the events of Season 3, almost 10 years later the residents of Deadwood reunite to celebrate South Dakota joining the Union as the 40th state. While there is no official synopsis of the movie as yet, producer Carolyn Strauss gave a glimpse of what the storyline could be while speaking with Entertainment Weekly. She stated, "It’s about the passage of time. The toll of time on people. It’s mellowed some people and hardened others. And it’s about the town’s maturing and becoming part of the Union and what that event sets in motion, in a very personal way for the people that it brings in town and what ensues."
Behind-the-scenes stills from the @HBO Western TV series; #Deadwood.
— GoneFullGeek (@gonefullgeek) May 7, 2017
Fingers-crossed the movie continuation gets the green light. pic.twitter.com/l53aNL37pm
Cast:
'Deadwood: The Movie' is a lot about the Old West style of living and surviving and fortunately, this very style which was defined by the actors on the TV series, will be carried on in the movie as well. Much of the old cast is returning and this includes Ian McShane as Al Swearengen. While 'Deadwood' (TV series) got Mc Shane the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series Drama and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series nomination, the actor is pretty popular for his role as Blackbeard in 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides'.
McShane will be joined by Timothy Olyphant as Sheriff and hardware store owner Seth Bullock. Olyphant has over the years made a name for himself as the perfect villain guy, when he would be cast as the guy with all the wrong intentions in 'Scream 2' (1997), 'Go' (1999), 'A Man Apart' (2003) and 'The Girl Next Door' (2004). Along with Olyphant and McShane, Molly Parker will also be back as Alma Ellsworth, alongside Paula Malcomson (Trixie), Dayton Callie (Charlie Utter), Robin Weigert (“Calamity” Jane Canary) and Anna Gunn (Martha Bullock).
Director:
As the original cast is set to watch their characters grow on the big screen, 'Deadwood' continues to remain true to its origin, as Daniel Minahan who had directed the original series is set to helm the movie as well. Minahan has been a busy man with some really big projects in his pocket, and those include, 'Game of Thrones' ('Valar Dohaeris', 'A Golden Crown'), 'Grey's Anatomy' ('Let the Truth Sting'), 'Marco Polo' and 'House of Cards'.
Minahan found a helping hand in producer Carolyn Strauss who, too, has been a part of the gigantic 'Game of Thrones' family as an executive producer, and was responsible for commissioning series like 'The Sopranos', 'The Wire', and 'Sex and the City'.
News: Ian McShane thinks his movie is "OK"!
In a recent interview with Collider, the actor opened up about the much anticipated Western movie. Claiming that it is nothing like an episodic piece, the actor confessed it is difficult to fit an entire TV series into a limited two hours, but he thinks that it is only "OK". He said, "I saw it the other day...I think it’s – yeah, it’s OK. Yeah, it’s good. Again it’s, you know, don’t expect an episodic piece. It’s difficult when you’ve gotta make a two-hour movie of an episodic TV. But I think they got the setting right, they got the links right."
Trailers:
Yes, there is a trailer, and it might just take you back to a decade old western lore, and quite a lot of the old relations, the anger, the love, and the friendship is reignited. We do get glimpses of Al and Sheriff Bullock once again coming face to face as they revisit the old nooks and corners of Deadwood. To see more of what might be in store, take a look at the trailer below:
Where to watch:
'Deadwood: The Movie' will premiere in its original home, HBO, but it will also be shown in the UK on Sky Atlantic pretty soon.
'Deadwood' Season 3 recap:
As the movie is set to pick up from where Season 3 had left, it might be a good idea to go back a little just to know what is arriving. Things began to boil in the cauldron when Deadwood prepared to enter into the Dakota Territory. With several people running towards a higher goal in life and Al being absolutely enraged by the murders in the Gem, election debates are canceled which in turn further complicates matters. As the season came to an end, Al's conflict with the residents of Deadwood puts him in a complicated position and this is where the movie picks up from.
Carolyn Strauss mentioned in her interview, "The time has taken its greatest toll on Swearengen. He’s the person who really drove so much of the life of the town and there’s a sense of that power waning somewhat and what ensues of that is a big part of the story."
If you liked this, you'll love these:
Before 'Deadwood: the Movie' returns, you might want to check out Cinemax's 'Warrior' which is set in the similar period in history but takes a very different look at the Old Wild West. Instead of the American whites, 'Warrior' will give you a perspective of how life was for the immigrants of the East.
However, if that gets too heavy you might also want to check out Coen Brothers' innovatively humorous take on the violent existence of the Wild West in their movie, 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs'. In case, you are tuning into Coen Brothers' take on the West, why not also check out 'No Country for Old Men' a rather modern ballad about the crisis which struck the West and all its gunslingers.
However, just to get a raw taste of what it was really like in the preceding periods for the gunslingers and the sheriffs, you could watch some of the old-time classics such as 'Gunsmoke', 'Bonanza', and 'Maverick'.