HBO greenlights "Deadwood" movie
After years of buzz, a "Deadwood" movie is officially getting the greenlight. HBO announced that it will revisit the Western drama that ended in 2006 with a movie. In 2016, former HBO programming president Michael Lombardo told TVLine that he gave creator David Milch the green light to bring back the show, but since then, there has been little official word on the matter.
HBO programming chief Casey Bloys said Wednesday that the film will begin production in October, and the movie could debut as early as spring 2019.
Bloys told a TV critics' meeting that part of the delay has been working through cast members' schedules, which he called a logistical "nightmare," reports the Associated Press, but they made it work.
The critically acclaimed award-winning "Deadwood" was set in the rough-and-tumble South Dakota mining town of the title. The series aired from 2004 to 06 with stars including Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane and Molly Parker.
It was created by David Milch, known for his work on the contemporary police dramas "NYPD Blue" and "Hill Street Blues."
In 2016, Lombardo admitted that plans were in nascent stages, but he also said that he felt confident about it, saying, "It's going to happen." He added that HBO decided to revive the show because they felt there was unfinished business with regard to the series.
"I've known him for a while and it feels like it's something he's not done talking about," he said.
Lombardo also said that he felt sure that most of the cast would return.
"The cast is unbelievably [tight]," he said at the time. "Some casts and creators form a bond that becomes relevant for the rest of their lives. This was a defining moment for a lot of them." Lombardo left HBO in 2016.
