Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is regarded as one of the greatest westerns of all time, so let’s turn it into a TV series.
THR has reported that Regé-Jean Page (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) and Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick) are set to star in a reimagining of Butch and Sundance for Amazon. The studio gave the series a straight-to-series order after coming out on top in a bidding war that included Disney+ and Peacock. Joe and Anthony Russo will executive produce through their AGBO banner, with Kaz and Ryan Firpo penning the scripts for the series. The report doesn’t contain too many details about the Butch and Sundance TV series, but it does say that it will take place in an alternate America similar to For All Mankind or Man in the High Castle. Interesting.
Regé-Jean Page will play Butch Cassidy in the TV series, a role played by Paul Newman in the classic 1969 western, with Glen Powell playing the Sundance Kid, who was played by Robert Redford in the original movie. In addition to starring in the Butch and Sundance TV series, both Page and Powell will serve as executive producers and remain involved in the creative process. The project is still in the early stages, so it’s not known who will be directing or how many episodes we’re talking about. THR’s report says that the series is being envisioned as a larger franchise with multiple series and spinoffs.
This series isn’t the only project that the Russo Brothers are developing with Amazon. They also have Citadel, a spy thriller that’s shaping up to be one of the most expensive TV series of all time. Citadel is meant to be an “Avengers-style spy show” as it deals with spies from all over the world coming together for the ultimate mission. The series also has franchise potential built right in as each of the spies could be featured in their own movies in their home countries. Problems behind the scenes found a few members of the creative team exiting, which led to a series of costly reshoots.