HBO Honcho Confirms Deadwood Movie

I just love it when the dead won't stay buried.

After nearly a decade of rumors and kindled hopes, it looks like HBO is really going to return to Deadwood,and finish the beloved Western they left hanging.

Word comes from no less an authority than HBO’s head honcho Michael Lombardo, speaking at the Television Critics Association’s press tour yesterday:

“David (Milch, series creator) has our commitment that we are going to do it. He pitched what he thought generally what the storyline would be – and knowing David, that could change. But it’s going to happen.”

It will take some wrangling to reassemble that legendary cast, including Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane (due to appear on HBO’s Game of Thronesthis year), Molly Parker, Paula Malcomson, Robin Weigert, John Hawkes, Garret Dillahunt, Titus Welliver, Dayton Callie, Brad Dourif, William Sanderson, Jim Beaver, Powers Boothe and the rest. It’ll be a neat trick to get all those birds to fly back to the roost. But Lombardo sounds pretty confident: “I’m going to leave that in David’s hands. He’s confident he will be able to. 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.”

You can say that again. The Deadwood cast has been the Go-To favorite for dozens of TV series and films, from Lost to Fringe to Justified to Sons of Anarchy.

For many of these actors, Deadwood launched their careers. If the show does get the chance to come back and finish their story, it should be a hell of a thing.