Caffeinated Clint
Aside from “Thirteen Days” and “The Upside of Anger”, Kevin Costner hasn’t done anything widely stupendous in recent years – No biggie for anyone else, I mean two hits within the same decade might be a solid score (for someone like Elisabeth Shue or Kate Bosworth), but for one of the ’80s and ’90s biggest drawcards and hit-makers, that’s a noticeably lacklustre innings.
Personally, I think instead of spending his time doing studio papsmear like “The Guardian” and “Dragonfly”, Costner should’ve pushed to do “The Open Road”, the long-gestating “Dances with Wolves” follow-up (that, for some reason or another, he’s shied away from) – it probably would never have been as good as Costner’s Oscar Winning original but it would’ve generated great interest – particularly in him. Again.
Just thinking about the man’s best films though – “The Untouchables”, “Fandango”, “Silverado”, “Bull Durham”, “Field of Dreams”, “Dances”… they’re all such unique, story-driven pics (even “The Bodyguard” to an extent) the likes of which Hollywood doesn’t seem to make anymore.
Costner seems to be keen on getting back in there again and his recent choices, though chancy, have been met with a great rejoinder.
Hot on the heels of agreeing to play Jonathan Kent in the new Superman flick “Man of Steel” (As much as I love Ford and Schneider in the role of Pa Kent, Costner’s also a terrific fit – maybe even more so), the actor has inked a deal to star in and produce a major mini-series for The History Channel. OK, so it’s TV – but it’s quality TV, and as y’all well aware, sometimes small screen fare runs circles around the stuff showing in the cinema. Mostly, it just sounds like a terrific project for Costner to sink his teeth into – another part history lesson, part drama.
Oh, and did I mention Ted Mann, of “Deadwood” fame, is writing the project? Yup.
“The Hatfields and McCoys” will fix on an infamous family feud between two states that near escalated into a full-on bloody wall. Costner will play “Devil” Anse Hatfield.
“As an avid history fan, I am thrilled to join with Leslie Greif and History in this dramatic re-telling of a classic and timeless tale that is forever immersed in the folklore of our country”, Costner said.
The Hatfield-McCoy saga begins with Devil Anse Hatfield and Randall McCoy. Close friends and comrades during the Civil War, they returned to their neighboring homes — Hatfield in West Virginia, McCoy just across the Tug River border in Kentucky — to increasing tensions, misunderstandings and resentments that soon exploded into all-out warfare between the two families. As hostilities grew, friends, neighbours and outside forces joined the fight, bringing the two states to the brink of another Civil War.
Their story also includes: a tempestuous love affair between Hatfield’s son and McCoy’s daughter, which had disastrous consequences; the execution of McCoy’s three young sons in retaliation for the Rasputin-like murder of Hatfield’s beloved brother; a New Year’s Massacre of the McCoy clan and burning of their home, which also sparked international headlines; a public clash between state governors; and ultimately the involvement of the United States Supreme Court.
Big year for the History Channel next year – they also recently greenlit a major mini-series based on that best-selling book, “The Bible”.
