Netflix lands Lonesome Dove adaptation

Netflix has secured the in-demand adaptation of Western novel Lonesome Dove, teaming up with East of Eden showrunners Zoe Kazan and Jeb Stuart for a second time.

The drama is based on the Larry McMurtry novel and is being produced by US-based Teton Ridge Entertainment, which landed rights to the book.

Kazan and Stuart, who developed the IP, are writers and co-showrunners on the show, which will be based on the first novel published in the Lonesome Dove series.

It was first published in 1985, with McNurty going on to write two prequels and a sequel. All four books have already been turned into TV series, with the original Lonesome Doves drama hitting screens in 1989, starring Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones. 

Netflix’s reboot is being EP’s by Thomas Tull, Jillian Share and Jen Gorton of Teton Ridge, alongside Jon Jashni, Diana Ossana and Curtis McMurtry of the McMurtry Estate.

The story tracks the lives of former Texas Rangers Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call, who face an uncertain future while embarking on a final, perilous cattle drive from the Rio Grande to Montana. The show explores themes of unrequited longing, unbreakable friendship, brutal frontier justice, and an unwavering pursuit of a meaningful life.

Kazan and Stuart said: “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.”

Jinny Howe, Netflix head of scripted series for the US and Canada, added: “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.

“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.”

Jillian Share, president of Teton Ridge Entertainment, added: “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.”

Netflix has been ramping up its period adaptations of late, with Kazan and Stuart’s East of Eden set to premiere on Netflix on 1 October. The streamer also recently launched Little House on the Prairie and has Pride and Prejudice in the works.