Spielberg, TNT push frontiers with 'Into the West'
By Robert Bianco, USA TODAY
LOS ANGELES — Steven Spielberg is taking TNT Into the West.
In June, the network will premiere a Spielberg-produced six-part, 12-hour epic about the settling of the American West.
Starring Sean Astin, Beau Bridges, Josh Brolin, Graham Greene, Keri Russell and Wes Studi, the movie will follow two multi-generational families — one settlers, one members of the Lakota tribe — over a period of 90 years.
Though it's called Into the West, don't call it a Western. "We don't classify this as a Western. This is really a film about the West," co-executive producer David Rosemont said Wednesday at the semiannual gathering of TV critics. "Everything from wardrobe, locations, casting, the language. ... Everything is checked, rechecked. Everything was authentic."
In its drive for authenticity, West hired Lakota adviser Charlie White Buffalo to teach the Lakota language to the actors playing Native Americans (most of whom are descendants of Native Americans). The goal, however, is not to tell the story of the West from a Native American point of view.
"The most important thing to (Spielberg) was authenticity, but also balance," says co-executive producer Darryl Frank. "Telling a balanced story and telling it from two points of view. ... He felt like the true story hadn't been told, because it had been told in a one-sided way. And that's what we're trying to do, tell the full story from a dual perspective."
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They've been showing promos for this on TNT. Looks good.
By Robert Bianco, USA TODAY
LOS ANGELES — Steven Spielberg is taking TNT Into the West.
In June, the network will premiere a Spielberg-produced six-part, 12-hour epic about the settling of the American West.
Starring Sean Astin, Beau Bridges, Josh Brolin, Graham Greene, Keri Russell and Wes Studi, the movie will follow two multi-generational families — one settlers, one members of the Lakota tribe — over a period of 90 years.
Though it's called Into the West, don't call it a Western. "We don't classify this as a Western. This is really a film about the West," co-executive producer David Rosemont said Wednesday at the semiannual gathering of TV critics. "Everything from wardrobe, locations, casting, the language. ... Everything is checked, rechecked. Everything was authentic."
In its drive for authenticity, West hired Lakota adviser Charlie White Buffalo to teach the Lakota language to the actors playing Native Americans (most of whom are descendants of Native Americans). The goal, however, is not to tell the story of the West from a Native American point of view.
"The most important thing to (Spielberg) was authenticity, but also balance," says co-executive producer Darryl Frank. "Telling a balanced story and telling it from two points of view. ... He felt like the true story hadn't been told, because it had been told in a one-sided way. And that's what we're trying to do, tell the full story from a dual perspective."
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They've been showing promos for this on TNT. Looks good.
