Netflix Orders ‘Lonesome Dove’ Series From Zoe Kazan & Jeb Stuart Based On Larry McMurtry’s Novel — SkimNews
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Netflix greenlit a "Lonesome Dove" series from Zoe Kazan and Jeb Stuart, with Teton Ridge Entertainment acquiring the franchise rights in February before taking the package out in late April and landing a straight-to-series order at Netflix by early May.
- Kazan and Stuart co-showran Netflix's upcoming "East of Eden" limited series starring Florence Pugh (premiering Oct. 1) before turning to McMurtry's novel, telling Netflix: "We can't wait to hit the trail with Gus and Call."
- Netflix took roughly four months to formally confirm the greenlight while closing gaps in the "complex web of necessary rights" for the franchise.
- The series is envisioned as an ongoing show following former Texas Rangers Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call on a final cattle drive from the Rio Grande to Montana.
- The original 1989 CBS miniseries — starring Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones — drew roughly 26 million viewers and won a Peabody, seven Emmys and two Golden Globes.
- McMurtry's novel, published in 1986 by Simon & Schuster, sold over 4 million copies and spent 24 consecutive weeks on the NYT hardcover bestseller list.
- Executive producers include Kazan, Stuart, Thomas Tull, Jillian Share and Jen Gorton of Teton Ridge, Jon Jashni, Diana Ossana (McMurtry's longtime creative partner) and Curtis McMurtry of the McMurtry Estate.
Why it matters: Netflix is doubling down on prestige literary adaptations by reteaming its "East of Eden" showrunners on a second major Western property, giving Teton Ridge Entertainment — which only acquired the franchise rights in February — a straight-to-series launchpad with the dominant streamer. The four-month rights delay underscores how fragmented the McMurtry estate ownership remains even after Teton's acquisition.
Ask SkimNews
