Additional Coverage:
- Stephen King’s Favorite Book Ever, a 1985 Western That Won the Pulitzer Prize, Is Becoming a Netflix Series (parade.com)
Larry McMurtry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Western classic, Lonesome Dove, is riding a fresh wave of popularity more than four decades after its original release. The novel, which tells the epic tale of two former Texas Rangers, Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call, as they embark on their final cattle drive from the Rio Grande to Montana, continues to captivate readers and audiences alike.
Originally published in 1985 by Simon & Schuster, Lonesome Dove quickly became a bestseller. Its immense success led CBS to adapt it into a four-part miniseries in 1989, starring a star-studded cast including Tommy Lee Jones, Robert Duvall, Danny Glover, Anjelica Huston, Diane Lane, and Ricky Schroeder. The series drew an audience of 26 million viewers and earned critical acclaim with a Peabody Award, seven Emmys, and two Golden Globes.
Now, nearly 40 years later, Netflix has acquired the rights to bring Lonesome Dove back to the screen in a new series, following a highly competitive bidding process. The streaming giant announced the project on September 8, with showrunners Zoe Kazan and Jeb Stuart at the helm.
Kazan and Stuart, fresh off their work on the limited series East of Eden, expressed their enthusiasm, saying, “We come to this material with love and respect, and can’t wait to hit the trail with Gus and Call and the rest of these beloved characters. Yee-haw.”
Though McMurtry passed away in 2021 at age 84, his legacy remains strong. His longtime collaborator Diana Ossana and his grandson Curtis McMurtry have joined the new project as producers, ensuring the author’s vision is honored.
The renewed interest in Lonesome Dove extends beyond the screen. Sales of the novel have surged to levels not seen in three decades, with publisher Simon & Schuster noting that the last time the book saw such success was during the airing of the 1993 miniseries sequel, Return to Lonesome Dove. This resurgence may be partly credited to Stephen King, who in a 2021 interview named Lonesome Dove as his favorite book, lending considerable influence to its popularity.
In addition, Simon & Schuster released a 40th anniversary edition of the novel in June 2025, featuring a foreword by Taylor Sheridan, creator of the hit Western series Yellowstone. This aligns with a broader cultural appetite for Western-themed stories, as seen with shows like Yellowstone and Landman.
While Netflix has not announced a premiere date, reports suggest the new adaptation will be an ongoing series rather than a limited miniseries, promising more adventures on the trail with Gus, Call, and their companions. Fans of the original novel and the Western genre have much to look forward to as Lonesome Dove prepares to make its grand return.