Larry McMurtry’s classic Lonesome Dove novel is returning to television as a Netflix drama series. The streamer has greenlighted the project from Zoe Kazan and Jeb Stuart, co-showrunners of Netflix’s upcoming East of Eden limited series, and Teton Ridge Entertainment.
Independent studio Teton Ridge Entertainment, which focuses on American West stories, announced in February that it had acquired the rights to the Lonesome Dove literary franchise for film and television. It brought in Kazan and Stuart to write the adaptation and took the package out in late April. By early May, in a very competitive situation, Lonesome Dove had laded at Netflix with a straight-to-series order.
As to why it took four months for the streamer to confirm the show, word is that there were some gaps in the complex web of necessary rights that had to be secured before Netflix can proceed with the greenlight, a process that has now been completed.
Lonesome Dove, which is envisioned as an ongoing series, follows Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call who renew their spirit of adventure as they face an uncertain future, embarking on one final, perilous cattle drive from the Rio Grande to the untamed wilderness of Montana in pursuit of a dream that they have perhaps already outlived. These two former Texas Rangers lead an unforgettable cast of characters across the American west in this sweeping odyssey defined by unrequited longing, unbreakable friendship, brutal frontier justice, and an unwavering pursuit of a meaningful life.
Kazan and Stuart are taking on McMurtry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel after tackling John Steinbeck’s East Of Eden for the upcoming Netflix limited series starring Florence Pugh, which premieres Oct. 1. The duo served as co-showrunners on East of Eden, which was written by Kazan.
“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 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.”
Kazan and Stuart executive produce Lonesome Dove alongside Thomas Tull, Jillian Share and Jen Gorton of Teton Ridge Entertainment; Jon Jashni; late McMurtry’s frequent collaborator Diana Ossana; Curtis McMurtry of the McMurtry Estate.
“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,” said Jinny Howe, Netflix Head of Scripted Series, UCAN. “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.”
Published in 1986 by Simon & Schuster, McMurtry’s novel — the first in the Lonesome Dove book series — spent 24 consecutive weeks in hardcover and 28 consecutive weeks in paperback on NYT’s Bestseller list, selling over 4 million copies.
It was turned into a hit 1989 miniseries by CBS. Starring Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones, the four-part Lonesome Dove pulled in an some 26M viewers and won a Peabody, seven Emmys and two Golden Globes. The subsequent books in the Lonesome Dove series were also adapted into miniseries.
“Lonesome Dove is the kind of story that only comes along once in a generation. 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,” said Jillian Share, President, Teton Ridge Entertainment. “We’re thrilled to partner with Netflix and for Zoe and Jeb to reimagine this landmark story while preserving the heart and spirit that have made Lonesome Dove so beloved.”
