‘Deadwood’ lives: HBO says cameras nearly ready to roll

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — It's been a running joke among television reporters for years: When would we see the long-promised Deadwood movie?

The answer finally came Wednesday, as HBO programming president Casey Bloys kicked off the first day of the Television Critics Association's summer meetings by confirming the green-lighting of a movie continuation of the David Milch-created series, which ended in 2006, many thought abruptly, after three seasons.

"We're looking at an October start date," Bloys told reporters. "It has been a logistics nightmare getting all the cast members' schedules lined up."

Deadwood was set in a largely lawless mining camp in 1870s. Among its stars was Ian McShane (American Gods), who played saloon owner Al Swearengen — a fictionalized version of a historical figure — and whose prolific cursing in Milch's writing had a kind of rough poetry.

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Among those who never expected to see this day was Deadwood veteran Timothy Olyphant (Justified, Santa Clarita Diet), who as recently as March told Bravo talk show host Andy Cohen that "there's no … way it will ever happen."

Asked to comment on a possible plot line for the movie, Bloys said, "My only news for you today is that it's greenlit."

He's hoping to premiere it in the spring of 2019, but perhaps cognizant of the project's long history, said, "Let's get cameras rolling before we worry about it."