Deadwood movie finally confirmed

Deadwood the movie has been given the green light after the TV show was cancelled in 2006. Photo / Supplied

First it was on, then it was off, then it was on again, off again and we lost track. But now it's on, like, definitely on.

After years of toying with fans, HBO has confirmed a Deadwood movie is going into production in October.

The gritty western series, which ran for three seasons between 2004 and 2006, was a critical and fan favourite, despite never finding a mainstream audience. It's often included on "Best TV show of all time" lists.

Set in the late 19th century in a lawless-ish gold mining town in South Dakota, the series was created by NYPD Blue writer David Milch and starred Ian McShane and Timothy Olyphant, following the exploits of a violent saloon owner and a new sheriff.

The series was renowned for its playful language, which included copious swearing, and its violent, no-holds-barred characters.

It was nominated for 28 Emmy Awards during its 36-episode run — it won eight.

The prospect of a movie has been in the works since the series was cancelled in 2006. Milch originally agreed to make two-hour long movies instead of a fourth season but it never went ahead. In the years since, chatter of a Deadwood movie would emerge and then eventually fade away.

This is the first time any official word has come from on high.

The announcement was made at a US event, the Television Critics Association's summer press tour, by HBO programming president Casey Bloys who said: "All of these people worked hard to get this together. It's been a logistics nightmare getting all the cast members' schedules together, but we are there. It is greenlit.

"I wanted a script that would stand on its own. I'm happy to say that David totally delivered on that. It's a terrific script."

It's not unusual for TV shows to spin-off into movies after their original runs — sometimes it's an opportunity to close out storylines, such as with HBO show Looking, or as in the case with something like Sex and the City or The X-Files, it's an opportunity to further capitalise on a popular property.

The Deadwood movie is expected to be released sometime next year.