‘Deadwood’ Boss David Milch Has ‘Stacks’ of Scripts for HBO Revival
Deadwood has gone suspiciously quiet since we first learned that HBO had in mind to follow through on a long-awaited movie revival, though creator David Milch’s professional controversies have somewhat pulled focus since. Now, we’ve learned that Milch has piles of treatments and potential scripts ready to go, eying up to two Deadwood movies as soon as he’s free.
A new profile from The Buffalo News goes in-depth with Milch’s current prospects and controversial gambling history, in particular that his current HBO deal has the writer bound to an adaptation of Shadow Country, the 1900s serial killer novel by Peter Matthiessen. Milch also has the freedom to pitch his own projects, Deadwood included, still undetermined between one, or two feature-length films.
The intervening years since Deadwood’s 2006 cancellation and recent renewed interest have certainly afforded Milch time to gather ideas, as the report notes that the writer has “stacks of treatments and scripts” in the writing room of his Santa Monica home. Last we heard, HBO boss Mike Lombardo said of the revival’s prospects:
David has our commitment that we are going to do it. He pitched what he thought generally the storyline would be — and knowing David, that could change. But it’s going to happen.
As well how the schedule might work out after Shadow Country:
The understanding is that when he is done with [his other project] he will turn his attention to [writing the] script for the Deadwood film … I’m going to leave [the casting] in David’s hands. He’s confident he will be able to. The cast is unbelievably [tight]. 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.
Of course, it’d still be up to Milch to gather the prolific cast (sadly without Ralph Richeson), which in three seasons included Justified lead Timothy Olyphant, future Game of Thrones star Ian McShane, Fear The Walking Dead lead Kim Dickens, Jessica Jones alum Robin Weigert, Breaking Bad breakout Anna Gunn, Paula Malcolmson, Molly Parker, and many more. The series also featured early guest spots for Parks and Recreation favorite Nick Offerman (take caution Googling that one), and even a young Kristen Bell.
For those unaware, HBO’s Deadwood ran from 2004 to 2006, showcasing the rise of Deadwood, South Dakota from frontier gold prospecting camp to fully-annexed territory.
Milch’s current works could still but years between us and a Deadwood movie, but will any of the current scripts end up in use?