Netflix has ordered a new series adaptation of Larry McMurtry's Pulitzer Prize-winning Western novel Lonesome Dove. The project reunites the streaming service with Zoe Kazan and Jeb Stuart, the co-showrunners behind its upcoming East of Eden limited series, and will be produced in partnership with Teton Ridge Entertainment, which owns the film and television rights to McMurtry's book series.
McMurtry's 1985 bestseller follows former Texas Rangers turned cowboys Augustus «Gus» McRae and Woodrow Call, who embark on a fateful 3,000-mile cattle drive from Texas to Montana. Along the way, the two men and their companions confront frontier dangers, personal rivalries, and the harsh realities of the American West in the late 19th century. The novel, widely regarded as a landmark of Western literature, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1986.
CBS previously adapted Lonesome Dove as a blockbuster television miniseries in 1989. That production starred Robert Duvall as Gus and Tommy Lee Jones as Call, with a supporting cast that included Danny Glover, Rick Schroder, Diane Lane, Robert Urich, Anjelica Huston, Steve Buscemi, Chris Cooper, Frederic Forrest, and Glenne Headly. The miniseries was a major ratings success and received critical acclaim, winning several Emmy Awards and helping to revitalize interest in the Western genre on television.
Kazan and Stuart said in a joint statement that they approach the material with admiration for McMurtry's work. «After our singular experience on East of Eden, we are thrilled to be teaming with Netflix again, along with Teton Ridge Entertainment, to bring Larry McMurtry's western classic to life,» they said. «We come to this material with love and respect, and can't wait to hit the trail with Gus and Call and the rest of these beloved characters. Yee-haw.»
Kazan and Stuart will executive produce Lonesome Dove alongside Thomas Tull, Jillian Share, and Jen Gorton of Teton Ridge Entertainment, as well as Jon Jashni. Diana Ossana, McMurtry's longtime creative partner, and Curtis McMurtry of the McMurtry Estate are also attached as executive producers. Ossana collaborated with McMurtry on several projects, including the Oscar-winning screenplay for Brokeback Mountain.
McMurtry's Lonesome Dove literary series includes several other novels set in the same universe. Streets of Laredo was published in 1993, followed by Dead Man's Walk in 1995 and Comanche Moon in 1997. All three books were also adapted for television. Additionally, Lonesome Dove: The Series ran for two seasons in syndication during the 1990s, expanding on the storylines and characters introduced in the original novel.
Kazan and Stuart's East of Eden, based on John Steinbeck's novel, is scheduled to launch on Netflix on October 1. The series stars Florence Pugh, Christopher Abbott, Mike Faist, Hoon Lee, Joseph Zada, and Joe Anders. The duo's work on that project helped establish their working relationship with the streaming platform, leading to the Lonesome Dove commission.
No casting announcements or premiere dates for Lonesome Dove have been revealed yet. The project is in early development, with Kazan and Stuart expected to write and oversee the series as they did with East of Eden.