Directors Joel and Ethan Coen are moving to the television landscape to direct The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, a Western anthology series that will apparently combine a television show and theatrical run. The brothers are partnering with Annapurna Television on this ‘innovative approach’.
The Coens have written the script and will direct and produce through their Mike Zoss Productions label. Megan Ellison and Sue Naegle, Annapurna Television’s President of Television, will act as executive producers for the series. In a brief statement to Variety, the Coen Brothers said “We are very excited to be working with Megan and Sue on this project.”
There is no word yet on what The Ballad of Buster Scruggs will be about, but it will apparently revolve around six different storylines which will intertwine with each other. The brothers also intent to shoot this as a miniseries, though how it could play in theaters remains a mystery.
This is not the first time the Coen Brothers have dipped their feet in the Western genre after directing True Grit and the modern day Western No Country for Old Men, the latter winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Javier Bardem at the Academy Awards in 2008.
Originally published January 11, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
