It’s been announced that CBS films is working on a big screen version of the classic western TV series, Gunsmoke. The original, about the adventures of Marshal Matt Dillon, started in 1955 and ran for an extremely impressive 20 seasons, finally going off the air in 1975. In fact it’s currently still the longest running US primetime drama ever.
CBS is now working on an update, and National Treasure: Book Of Secrets scribe, Gregory Poirier is busily working on a first draft of the screenplay. The plan is to keep the original American wild-west setting but to feature a contemporary look and modern action twists.
Although Gunsmoke isn’t that well known in the UK, it’s certainly got a good pedigree, and to be honest they don’t make enough decent westerns these days and this sounds like it could be fun.