Trailer: Taylor Sheridan’s Lawmen: Bass Reeves saddles up

Last Updated on October 12, 2023

And the Taylor Sheridan Extended Universe keeps expanding as Lawmen: Bass Reeves now has an official trailer.

Created by Chad Feehan and executive produced by Taylor Sheridan, Lawman: Bass Reeves will certainly be a hotly anticipated addition to the corral, especially considering it is based on a real-life figure, to be played by the great Davud Oyelowo, who also serves as executive producer. Oyelowo is no stranger to playing historical figures, portraying the likes of Muddy Waters (Who Do You Love?), Martin Luther King Jr. (Selma) and Seretse Khama (A United Kingdom).

In the trailer, we see Oyelowo as Bass Reeves, who considers himself a mixture of both lawman and outlaw. From there, we get a pretty good idea of what the man is all about, teasing the ethics and action that will make up Bass Reeves.

As per Paramount: “Revealing the untold story of the most legendary lawman in the Old West, LAWMEN: BASS REEVES follows the journey of Reeves (Oyelowo) and his rise from enslavement to law enforcement as the first Black U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi. Despite arresting over 3,000 outlaws during the course of his career, the weight of the badge was heavy, and he wrestled with its moral and spiritual cost to his beloved family.”

Lawmen: Bass Reeves showrunner Feehan has been attracted to the project for quite some time now, partly stemming from his roots. “Growing up in Texas, I heard a lot of stories about Bass Reeves; they were always akin to a dime novel hero with incredibly fanciful Flourishes of a gunslinging lawman pursuing the most-hardened outlaws in the Wild West. Somewhere in my childhood that myth of Bass took firm root in my consciousness and never left.” He added that Lawmen: Bass Reeves will partly serve the function of developing just who its titular man was, saying, “Our story explores the lawman, the husband, the father; it begins with enslavement and carries through Reconstruction to the first cruel whispers of Jim Crow; it contains some of the well-known tales, some of the untold tales and a fair share of fictional tales that fill-in the in-between.”

Bass Reeves has been featured in numerous movies and television shows, including The Harder They Fall (Delroy Lindo), DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and even Drunk History, as portrayed by Jaleel White aka Steve Urkel. In addition to Oyelowo, the cast also includes Dennis Quaid, Barry Pepper, Forrest Goodluck, Donald Sutherland, and more.

Bass Reeves is certainly a historical figure well worth exploring in a more intimate way, as he stands as one of the most prominent members of the United States Marshals Service, especially considering he was one of the first Black men to do so.

Lawmen: Bass Reeves arrives on Paramount+ on November 5th.

Are you looking forward to Lawmen: Bass Reeves? Let us know in the comments section below!