At the rate this is going, we may give up on going to theater altogether and stay at home and watch HBO. The cable company’s upcoming slate continues to grow more impressive with each passing week, and while we can spend the next few paragraphs rehashing the multitude of projects that are in the works, toplined by some extraordinary talent, we’ll instead advise you click the HBO tag below this article instead to get a complete rundown.
However, one of the many projects we’re keeping our eye on is the horse-racing world drama being spearheaded by “Deadwood” creator David Milch and director Michael Mann, who will also helm the pilot. The forthcoming series, aiming for January 2011 bow, has already landed Dustin Hoffman in the lead role as an ex-con gambler, in addition to adding previous Mann collaborators Dennis Farina (“Manhunter,” “Crime Story”) and John Ortiz (“Miami Vice,” “Public Enemies”). Now Deadline reports that actor and professional eccentric Nick Nolte is set to join the growing cast. So let’s just recap for a quick moment: Hoffman. Nolte. Mann. Fuuuck. We’re there.
Deadline seems to indicate that this will be filming soon as Nolte is apparently “‘mucking the stalls’ at Santa Anita racetrack where the drama will unfold.” We frankly can’t wait. We hate to gush so much, but it seems HBO has some of the most exciting projects going on around town, and in this era of tentpoles, we’re glad to see there’s still a home for ambitious, original programming.
UPDATE: THR confirms that Nolte is in talks and that he’ll play the trainer of a top racehorse. They also add that joining the cast will be Kevin Dunn (‘Transformers’) who’ll play a misanthrope ringmaster of a syndicate of misfits, Kerry Condon (“Rome”) as the exercise rider of the aforementioned horse and Tom Payne as an apprentice rider being eyed for recruitment by Condon.