USA Networks “Damnation” comes with a strong pedigree attached. Or at least big time co-signers. Executive producers are David MacKenzie, the director behind the Oscar-nominated “Hell Or High Water” and the spectacular, but underseen “Starred Up,” and James Mangold, the filmmaker behind “Logan” and “3:10 To Yuma” to name a few. That enough should raise eyebrows (MacKenzie by the way has emerged as one of the frontrunners to helm the next James Bond movie he is that sought after).
Created by Tony Tost (“Longmire”), MacKenzie directs the pilot episode of “Damnation”. It’s essentially a rugged period Western in the American heartland of the 1930s centering on greed, frauds, and big business charlatans trying to cheat one another. It stars Killian Scott from “’71” as preacher who is not who he seems and the show also stars Logan Marshall-Green (Cinemax’s “Quarry,” canceled after one season) as a ruthless strikebreaker. He’s always known as the poor-man’s Tom Hardy, but maybe this show will finally give him a chance to break through in a convincing manner.
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Here’s the official synopsis:
An epic saga about the secret history of the 1930’s American heartland, Damnation centers on the mythic conflict and bloody struggle between big money and the downtrodden, God and greed, charlatans, and prophets. The pilot introduces Seth Davenport (Killian Scott, 71), a man masquerading as a small town Iowa preacher in the hopes of starting a full-blown insurrection against the status quo. Focused on his mission, he is unaware that an industrialist tycoon has hired a professional strikebreaker named Creeley Turner (Logan Marshall-Green, Quarry) to stop the uprising by any means necessary. But unbeknownst to those around them, these two men already share a secret bloody past.
On top of Tost and Mangold’s involvement, producers on “Damnation” include Guymon Casady (“Game of Thrones”) and Daniel Rappaport (“Office Space”). Tost wrote the pilot and Netflix, who co-produces the series with Universal Cable Productions, will have first dibs on the series outside of the U.S.
“Damnation” airs on USA Networks sometime in October with a TBD date for now.. Watch the trailer and let us know if it’s going on your bingeworthy list.