Fans have been waiting for 13 years for a proper send-off for the critically-acclaimed HBO series, “Deadwood.” One of the earliest examples of “prestige TV” in the modern era, “Deadwood” had a strong cult following but was sadly canceled before its time. Now, thanks to creator David Milch and the network, fans will get a chance to say a proper goodbye to the series with the upcoming “Deadwood” film. And one of its stars is openly talking about his thoughts on the film, which are a bit…subdued.
Sure, Timothy Olyphant is probably the “lead” of “Deadwood,” but for many people, actor Ian McShane is the heart and soul of the series. His character, Al Swearengen, is probably the most memorable character from a cast that includes plenty of scene-stealers. And when he was asked by Collider about the status of the “Deadwood” film, McShane admitted to actually seeing a cut of the film. But instead of what fans might have hoped would be an enthusiastic, “HOLY SHIT! IT’S INCREDIBLE!” soundbite, McShane plays it cool, saying it’s “OK.”
READ MORE: ‘Deadwood’ Movie Trailer: Old Rivalries & Wounds Are Reopened 12 Years Later
“I saw it the other day. Tim and I had a few comments,” said McShane. “I think it’s – yeah, it’s OK. It’s pretty good. Yeah, it’s good. Again it’s, you know, don’t expect an episodic piece.”
He continued, “It’s difficult when you’ve gotta make a two-hour movie of an episodic TV [series]. But I think they got the setting right, they got the links right, and they got everybody back which is really great, ’cause they could have made you know, ‘Seth and Al ride the high country together!’ That wouldn’t have been ‘Deadwood.’ That would just be me and Tim sort of catching it … this is [David] Milch ‘Deadwood’ circa 10 years later. Statehood difficulty, characters have moved on; they’re a little changed which is great.”
It’s hard to take the temperature of the comment from McShane. The actual transcript paints a picture of the actor being…less than enthused by how it turned out. And when you watch the actual interaction on video (below), it seems a little more excited, but still far from the reaction that would lead fans to believe that the “Deadwood” film is everything they’ve been dreaming about for over a decade.
Alas, it’s not up to McShane on whether or not the film is any good. Ultimately, the fans will get the chance to decide its fate when “Deadwood: The Movie” arrives on May 31.