Men in a saloon

Speculation of a Deadwood revival has been around for years. Despite a critically acclaimed three-season run on the premium network, David Milch’s western masterpiece has long languished as an incomplete work. While little progress has seemingly been made in bringing the series back to television, it appears a draft for the movie script is now in HBO's hands.

In a new interview, actor Ian McShane gives the strongest indication yet that the Deadwood revival movie is on the horizon. The actor says that a script from Milch has already been given to the powers that be at HBO. And while McShane is quick to note that nothing has been set in stone, it seems as though things are moving closer and closer to production.

The actor told TVLine:

“[A] two-hour movie script has been delivered to HBO. If they don’t deliver [a finished product], blame them.”

Ian McShane as Al Swearengen in Deadwood

Earlier this year, HBO programming president Casey Bloys revealed that he had not yet seen a script, but did confirm that the project was still in the pipeline. Now that a script has been delivered, it’s only a matter of time, it seems, until everything else falls into place, a prospect McShane seems to look forward to.

“I’ll be seeing [Milch] for lunch [soon]. We’d all love to do it… It would be nice to see all of the old gang again.”

It would be nice for fans, as well. Deadwood has always been a series that deserved better than it got. The lack of a proper finale has long left a sour taste in the mouths of the devotees of the show. While a proper revival series would be preferred, anything is better than what fans have had so far.

Of course, it’s difficult to imagine what a new visit to Deadwood might be like. Will the series pick up where things left off and conclude from there, or will there be a time jump more in line with the years that have passed in the real world? Either scenario makes sense, though given that everyone involved has aged significantly, it would make more sense to jump ahead on the timeline.

Another potential sticking point might be the availability of the core cast. McShane is gearing up for the premiere of American Gods later this month, while Timothy Olyphant is set for the second season of Santa Clarita Diet. Anna Gunn, who found great post-Deadwood success in Breaking Bad and recently finished a stint on NBC’s Shades of Blue, has been busy herself in recent years.

Still, the prospect of bringing everyone back for one final hurrah would be too difficult to turn down. It’s a sure bet for HBO, who will no doubt benefit greatly from interest in a return to Deadwood. For now, it appears as though the ball’s in HBO’s court, and we’ll just have to wait and see.

Next: Where Do I Know You From? The 16 Biggest American Gods Stars

Source: TVLine