Though Game of Thrones has long dominated television screens, there's still a tightly knit and devoted community of fans surrounding the relatively short-lived Deadwood.

Running for three seasons between 2004 and 2006, the show triumphed on critical acclaim, and rumours have persisted that it would be making a return since almost the moment it dropped off air. Except, for once, the rumours turned out to be true.

This summer's Television Critics Association press tour saw HBO's top programming exec, Casey Bloys, confirm that a revival film for the network was actually hurtling toward a reality, though it's yet to be given the official greenlight.

"The one thing that I was concerned about was, I wanted a script that would stand on its own [for Deadwood fans and non-fans],” he said. “[Series creator] David [Milch] totally delivered on that. I think it’s a terrific script. If we can do it on a budget that makes sense for us, and if we can get the cast together, we’re inclined to do it.”

According to TVLine, that time has finally come, with sources stating HBO is currently eyeing a Fall 2018 production start.



"How could one not, when it was snatched away rather unjustly by a combination of forces we’ll never know about—hubris or money or whatever," Ian McShane, who played Al Swearengen on the show, previously said of the network's plans.

"But [Deadwood] certainly finished too early. At the time, most of us working on the show were incredulous. It’s been announced by HBO so it's not like I’m saying it. I know for a fact David is working on the script. It’s been 10 years since it finished. [Star Timothy Olyphant’s] free from Justified. I’m hoping they’ll make the deal soon, for two or four hours, whatever they decide on."