Costner & Harrelson in early talks for Netflix’s Bonnie & Clyde film

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

HIGHWAYMEN is a film project that once had Paul Newman and Robert Redford attached to star as the fresh-to-the-badge Texas Rangers who chased the famed, violent robbers Bonnie & Clyde to their bitter and bloody end. The film eventually stalled out and was placed on the back-burner, until now. Today, sources close to Deadline Hollywood have said that Netflix is in early negotiations to pair Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson together as the Texas lawmen who hunted the Depression-era outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. John Lee Hancock will direct the film. 

In order to secure the film under their banner, Netflix must first extricate the project from Universal Pictures, who had originally scooped up the idea some four years ago. Now, Hancok is said to be re-writing a script penned by John Fusco in an effort to freshen up HIGHWAYMEN while Casey Silver is set to produce.

If the project comes to light, Costner would portray Frank Hamer, while Harrelson will step into the role of Manny Gault. Neither of the men were out of the Rangers by the time Bonnie & Clyde began their murderous crime spree, but were contracted as special investigators after being coerced by a consortium of banks to assemble a posse and end the unlawful spree. HIGHWAYMEN will be told from the perspective of the disquieting group spearheaded by Hamer, a true grit Ranger who'd reportedly survived 100 gunfights and had killed at least 53 people.

You can expect to hear more news on HIGHWAYMEN as it develops. In the meantime, be sure to check out Woody Harrelson when he appears in WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES which is set to invade theaters beginning on July 14th.