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[torre_avenue]

Per Variety:

Annapurna Television is partnering with the Coen brothers on a limited series Western called ”The Ballad of Buster Scruggs." Sources tell Variety that Annapurna intends to pursue an innovative approach that could combine television and theatrical.

Joel and Ethan Coen wrote the script from an original idea and will direct the project.

The Coens will produce ”The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" through their Mike Zoss Productions label. Megan Ellison and Annapurna Television's president of television, Sue Naegle, will serve as executive producers.

It's still unclear how theatrical distribution could play a part in the project, but the intent is to shoot ”Buster Scruggs" as a miniseries. According to sources, the scope of the project seemed too challenging to be covered in one feature film.

The idea is similar to Imagine Entertainment's adaptation of the ”The Dark Tower" series. Imagine partners Brian Grazer and Ron Howard had planned to do something over both theatrical and television, but ended up sticking with one feature film, which Sony will release later this year.

Plot details of ”The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" are unknown, though it will intertwine six different story lines. The brothers are no strangers to the genre, with ”True Grit" and ”No Country for Old Men" on their resume.

Looks like prestige TV is the new prestige film. With David O. Russell doing his Amazon show and J.J. Abrams writing and directing a new show with Meryl Streep starring, TV is going to get very very good.

Update: More details have emerged courtesy of the Tracking Board via Albuquerque Journal.


Tim Blake Nelson is Buster Scruggs, and the series will focus on six segments with rotating casts.

”The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs" follows a singing cowboy. The Tracking Board has learned that Tim Blake Nelson will play the title character.

”Near Algodones" is about a high-plains drifter whose own fecklessness dogs his attempts at bank robbery and cattle driving. We hear James Franco, Stephen Root (The Ladykillers) and Ralph Ineson (The Witch) will star in this one.

”Meal Ticket" follows an actor and impresario of a traveling show.

”All Gold Canyon" is about a prospector who happily finds a gold seam but then unhappily finds an evil encroacher.

”The Gal Who Got Rattled" follows two trail bosses on the Oregon Trail and a woman on the wagon train who needs the help of one of them and who might be a marriage prospect for the other. We hear Zoe Kazan (The Big Sick) will play the titular ”gal." Her publicist did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

”The Mortal Remains" follows five very different passengers on a stagecoach of mysterious destination. We hear Tyne Daly (Spider-Man: Homecoming) will star in this one.

 

[Valhelm]

I didn't know how much I needed this

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

 

[Lionel Mandrake]

I will gladly take this.

 

[O Canada Our Home and Native Land]

A tv series by the coen bros? I'm going to get a coen overdose.

 

[hateradio]

A tv series by the coen bros?

You mean another? Fargo (tv) exists.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

You mean another? Fargo (tv) exists.

This one is actually from the Coen Brothers though!

 

[watershed]

The television, film, and online media landscape has gotten so interesting in the last few years. I love projects like this, amazon stuff, Netflix, HBO, etc.

 

[BennyBlanco]

You mean another? Fargo (tv) exists.

They don't direct or write for the Fargo tv series

 

[Firmus_Anguis]

 

[torre_avenue]

Considering how "well" Crisis in Six Scenes went, I'm more wary about prestige projects based on name only.

"Hail, Caeser!" was really mediocre, and I hope the Coens learned from that film when it comes to this.

 

[Lord Frieza]

Considering how "well" Crisis in Six Scenes went, I'm more wary about prestige projects based on name only.

"Hail, Caeser!" was really mediocre, and I hope the Coens learned from that film when it comes to this.

I mean, one mediocre, but not even that mediocre, film among a list of many great to execellent movies?

 

[Creaking]

I mean, one mediocre, but not even that mediocre, film among a list of many great to execellent movies?

The Coens have done some amazing movies, but Caesar certainly isn't their first mediocre work.

 

[big ander]

Hail Caesar is great. only mediocre coens movies are ladykillers and intolerable cruelty

I like that this is getting a theatrical release of some kind too.

 

[TissueBox]

OK THIS WILL BE INTERESTING

"Hail, Caeser!" was really mediocre, and I hope the Coens learned from that film when it comes to this.

Blasphemy

In seriousness, to each their own, I could see why it would be considered perfunctory, but I loved it for its cheekily warm but intricate message.

In the same time, though, I feel like they've drained the western, neo-western, post-neo-western-whatever pretty dry at this point, but oh well. Thus the new format may hopefully shake things up.

 

[DeathyBoy]

Considering how "well" Crisis in Six Scenes went, I'm more wary about prestige projects based on name only.

"Hail, Caeser!" was really mediocre, and I hope the Coens learned from that film when it comes to this.

Whoa, hey now...

The scenes showing Clooney's character's character reacting to the appearance of God in the film within the film were abjectly amazing... Tatum was hilarious... and the guy playing the cowboy was brilliant (I wish it t'were so is top-tier Coen comedy.)

 

[olympia]

Hail Ceez was great

 

[Discotheque]

Hail Caesar is great. only mediocre coens movies are ladykillers and intolerable cruelty

I like that this is getting a theatrical release of some kind too.

truth.

 

[Glazed]

yessss
limited series though 😪

 

[faridmon]

Hail Caeser was rubbish I thought, but fucking love me some Coen Brothers.

Give it to me NOW!

 

[Daigoro]

IN!

I hope the Coens learned from that film when it comes to this.

oh brother

 

[The Giant]

Can't wait for this.

 

[Transistor]

I was sold at Coen Brothers

 

[torre_avenue]

Update: Tim Blake Nelson is the eponymous cowboy.

“The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs” follows a singing cowboy. The Tracking Board has learned that Tim Blake Nelson will play the title character.

“Near Algodones” is about a high-plains drifter whose own fecklessness dogs his attempts at bank robbery and cattle driving. We hear James Franco, Stephen Root (The Ladykillers) and Ralph Ineson (The Witch) will star in this one.

“Meal Ticket” follows an actor and impresario of a traveling show.

“All Gold Canyon” is about a prospector who happily finds a gold seam but then unhappily finds an evil encroacher.

“The Gal Who Got Rattled” follows two trail bosses on the Oregon Trail and a woman on the wagon train who needs the help of one of them and who might be a marriage prospect for the other. We hear Zoe Kazan (The Big Sick) will play the titular “gal.” Her publicist did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“The Mortal Remains” follows five very different passengers on a stagecoach of mysterious destination. We hear Tyne Daly (Spider-Man: Homecoming) will star in this one.

Buster Scruggs is slated to start production later this month in New Mexico and run through the end of September. The Coens previously filmed No Country for Old Men and True Grit in New Mexico.

 

[jett]

TV has been very very good for a very very long time. Aside from a few exceptions I think I've enjoyed television more than cinema in recent years.

This should be fantastic.

 

[gdt]

What network?

 

[torre_avenue]

What network?

I don't think there's a confirmed network yet or at least a network that's been announced to air it.

I'd imagine it's going to be either Amazon or HBO that ends up airing it.

 

[ChronotriggerJM]

A bunch of it will be shot up near Santa Fe New Mexico.

 

[big ander]

I really want to hear what it means that this is combining television and theatrical. Will theaters show the whole miniseries in a special engagement, or will there be an alternate theatrical cut that combines the stories, or will there be a feature-length companion to the miniseries?