HBO has released the official trailer for the upcoming film Deadwood: The Movie, based on the series of the same name that ran on the network from 2004 to 2006.
The drama will take place in a lawless town in the wild west approximately a decade after the series concluded. Based on the trailer, many old rivalries will once again be tested as the original characters return to reprise their roles. In the short clip, Gerald McRaney returns to Deadwood as antagonistic businessman George Hearst, although in the years that have passed he has risen to a position of political power. The series protagonists Ian McShane, Timothy Olyphant, and Paula Malcomson also appear prominently in the trailer, likely in opposition of Hearst.
During its original run, Deadwood secured eight Emmy wins and 28 nominations prior to being abruptly canceled. During an interview with TVLine, Olyphant stated that the two-hour film functions "as a lovely goodbye" to the fictional universe.
As the HBO summary describes, the upcoming release is likely to involve many themes viewers saw during the three-season stint. "The indelible characters of the show are reunited after a decade to celebrate South Dakota’s statehood. Former rivalries are reignited, alliances are tested and old wounds reopened as all are left to navigate the inevitable changes that modernity and time have wrought."
The arrival of the trailer follows the announcement that the show's creator David Milch is battling Alzheimer's. W. Earl Brown, who plays Dan Dority in Deadwood, told Rolling Stone that Milch is still able to craft a detailed storyline, however he struggles with the pace of doing so. "The depth of David’s mind and spirit is still there. The acceleration’s gone, but the rest of it’s there."
Deadwood: The Movie is set to be released on HBO May 31.
