Get ready to hit the range, because Lonesome Dove is returning to the screen. A new adaptation of Larry McMurtry‘s classic 1985 Western novel is in the works. The Hollywood Reporter has the news that Teton Ridge Entertainment has acquired the rights to the novel and its sequels from McMurtry‘s estate.
The book centers around Gus McRae and Woodrow Call, a pair of once-legendary Texas Rangers who have retired to a small ranch, the titular Lonesome Dove. Wanting to go on one last adventure, the longtime friends and several of their associates agree to go on a cattle drive from Texas to Montana. Before it was a novel, it was actually a screenplay: McMurtry developed it in the 1970s with director Peter Bogdanavich, who wanted to cast John Wayne, James Stewart, and Henry Fonda in the film. Wayne rejected the script, and years later McMurtry made it into a novel, which sold millions of copies and won a Pulitzer. Thomas Tull, the former CEO of Legendary and the current head of Teton Ridge, said in a statement, “Lonesome Dove is an epic work that perfectly embodies the enduring spirit of the American West. We are immensely grateful to the McMurtry family for partnering with Teton Ridge Entertainment to bring its timeless themes to new generations of viewers.” It is currently unknown whether Teton Ridge will adapt Lonesome Dove into a film or a TV series.
Has ‘Lonesome Dove’ Been Adapted Before?
Lonesome Dove was previously adapted as a four-part epic miniseries in 1989. It boasted an impressive cast, with Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones playing the two lead roles; supporting players included Diane Lane, Danny Glover, Anjelica Huston, Chris Cooper, and Ricky Schroder. Although both the Western and the miniseries were in decline at the time, Lonesome Dove proved to be a huge ratings success for CBS in the winter of 1989. Its first installment led the Nielsen ratings, and the three subsequent episodes held on to most of that audience. It was also nominated for eighteen Emmy Awards, winning seven for its direction, costume design, sound, and Basil Poledouris‘ stirring score. A number of sequels followed: Return to Lonesome Dove and the short-lived Lonesome Dove: The Series were not based on McMurtry‘s work, but his later sequel and prequel novels Streets of Laredo, Dead Man’s Walk, and Comanche Moon were also later adapted as miniseries. None retained any of the original’s cast, and were not nearly as successful.
McMurtry, who died in 2021 at age 84, was a prolific writer who had many of his works adapted into films. They include Horseman, Pass By (adapted as Hud), The Last Picture Show, and Terms of Endearment. He also wrote the script for Brokeback Mountain, adapting Annie Proulx‘s short story.
A new adaptation of Lonesome Dove is in development.
via Collider