One of the greatest Western stories ever put on the page, and later the television screen, is preparing to ride again.
Netflix has ordered a new drama series based on Larry McMurtry’s novel Lonesome Dove. The series is being developed by Zoe Kazan and Jeb Stuart, who will write, executive-produce, and serve as co-showrunners on the ambitious adaptation. The pair recently collaborated on Netflix’s upcoming East of Eden series, itself based on another classic American novel with a history on screen.
Bringing a new version of Lonesome Dove to television will be no small task. McMurtry’s sweeping story comes with beloved characters, enormous expectations, and the looming shadow of an adaptation many Western fans already consider definitive. Kazan and Stuart will need to find a way to offer a fresh interpretation while preserving what has made the novel endure for more than four decades.
Unsurprisingly, any new version will inevitably face comparisons to the celebrated 1989 CBS miniseries starring Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones. That adaptation received universal acclaim from critics on it’s way to seven Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes. The minisereis transformed McMurtry’s Western into a television landmark, and is currently available to stream on Prime Video. Both Duvall and Jones were praised for their performances as Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call. Finding new actors to step into those legendary boots, will likely be one of the production’s most heavily scrutinized challenges.
About Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove follows former Texas Rangers Augustus “Gus” McCrae and Woodrow F. Call as they leave the Texas border town that gives the novel its name and embark on one final cattle drive to Montana. Their journey across the unforgiving frontier becomes a sweeping story of friendship, longing, loss and the pursuit of a dream that may belong to a disappearing era.
The success of the 1989 Lonesome Dove miniseries paved the way for several television follow-ups exploring different chapters in the lives of Gus McCrae, Woodrow Call, and the people around them. CBS first continued the story with the 1993 miniseries Return to Lonesome Dove. Although it featured several returning characters, the sequel was not based on a Larry McMurtry novel.
McMurtry subsequently expanded his saga with the sequel novel Streets of Laredo (1993) and the prequels Dead Man’s Walk (1995) and Comanche Moon (1997). All three books also received television adaptations: Streets of Laredo in 1995, Dead Man’s Walk in 1996 and Comanche Moon in 2008. Different actors portrayed Gus and Call across the productions, including James Garner as an older Call in Streets of Laredo. David Arquette and Jonny Lee Miller starred as younger versions of the Texas Rangers in Dead Man’s Walk. In Comanche Moon, Karl Urban played Call opposite Steve Zahn as Gus.
Teaming Up Again
Lonesome Dove will mark another collaboration between Kazan, Stuart, and Netflix. The duo’s most recent project for the streamer is a new adaptation of John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, starring Florence Pugh, Christopher Abbott and Mike Faist. That will debut on October 1.
“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,” Kazan and Stuart said in a joint statement. “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.”
“Lonesome Dove is one of the great American stories, and there was no question we wanted to follow Zoe and Jeb wherever they went next,” Jinny Howe, Netflix Head of Scripted Series, UCAN, said. “After East of Eden, we know exactly what they’re capable of — the depth of character, the sweep of place, the emotional precision. This material deserves that level of care. In their hands, it’s going to be something extraordinary. We’re excited to partner with Teton Ridge to bring this legendary story to life.”
“Lonesome Dove is the kind of story that only comes along once in a generation,” Jillian Share, President of Teton Ridge Entertainment, said. “Its characters, scope, and deeply human portrait of the American West have made it an enduring classic, and we see an extraordinary opportunity to bring Larry McMurtry’s world to a new generation of audiences.”
We Want To Hear From You
How do you feel about Netflix developing a new adaptation of Lonesome Dove? Who should step into the iconic roles of Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call? Let us know in the comments.
Keep following That Hollywood Show for more Western, Entertaiment, Pop Culture news. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X.
Reviews