Into The West

[Libby]

This was posted on the Haven by alfornos. (The Haven is a long-standing X-Files board and alfornos is a long-time poster there and on the X-Files newsgroup. If there's an article anywhere that's related to X-Files, etc., alfornos will find it!)

------------------

TNT Presents Dramatic Saga of the Opening of the American West in 12-Hour Epic Limited Series INTO THE WEST, From DreamWorks Television and Executive Producer Steven Spielberg

Starring Sean Astin, Simon Baker, Irene Bedard, Tom Berenger, Beau Bridges, Josh Brolin, Gary Busey, Jessica Capshaw, Tonantzin Carmelo, Tyler Christopher, Rachael Leigh Cook, Balthazar Getty, Daniel Gillies, Graham Greene, Lance Henriksen, Christian Kane, George Leach, Zahn McClarnon, Russell Means, Matthew Modine, Will Patton, Tyler Posey, Francesco Quinn, Keri Russell, Matthew Settle, Michael Spears, Wes Studi, Jay Tavare, John Terry, Sheila Tousey, Alan Tudyk and Skeet Ulrich

ATLANTA, Jan. 27 -- The story of the opening of the American West is given epic treatment in Turner Network Television (TNT)'s 12-hour original limited series INTO THE WEST, produced by TNT in association with DreamWorks Television and executive producer Steven Spielberg. This dramatic tale of the adventurous exploration of the American wilderness, the clash of two cultures, the rush to riches in a new land and the building of a new civilization features a starring cast headed by Matthew Settle (U-571, Band of Brothers); Skeet Ulrich (Miracles, As Good as It Gets); Michael Spears (Dances with Wolves, TNT's Broken Chain); Tonantzin Carmelo (King Rikki, 187 Shadow Lane); George Leach (DreamKeeper, After the Harvest); and Zahn McClarnon (TNT's Crazy Horse and Cooperstown).

Currently shooting in Calgary and New Mexico, INTO THE WEST is slated to premiere on TNT in Summer 2005. Darryl Frank (Taken, Las Vegas) and Justin Falvey (Las Vegas), co-heads of DreamWorks Television, serve as co-executive producers, along with William Mastrosimone (Sinatra, The Burning Season), who also wrote the overall story for the series and the scripts for three of its installments. INTO THE WEST is produced by David A. Rosemont, executive producer of TNT's Purgatory and Emmy-winning Door to Door.

"INTO THE WEST is the most ambitious original production TNT has ever undertaken," said Michael Wright, senior vice president of original programming for TNT. "Producing something of this size and complexity would be impossible without the amazing talents and passionate hard work of those who are bringing it to life. We are fortunate to have some of the most talented people in the industry working on what we believe will be the television event of the year."

INTO THE WEST follows two multi-generational families, one settlers and the other Native American, each telling the dramatic stories of the development of the West from their distinct points of view. One family is the Wheeler clan, a Virginia family of wheelwrights making their trek westward. The other family is a plains Native American family hailing from the Lakota tribe. Throughout the series, the two families will experience the historical and cultural events that led to an epic clash of culture, often coming in contact with notable figures and events from the era.

Installments

Night one is directed by Robert Dornhelm (Anne Frank, Spartacus, Rudy: The Rudy Giuliani Story) from a script by William Mastrosimone. In addition to the main cast, it features Simon R. Baker (I, Robot, The Sweet Hereafter); Sean Blakemore (Keepin' It Real, Woman Thou Art Loosed); Josh Brolin (Hollow Man, Mister Sterling); Gary Busey (Lethal Weapon, I'm With Busey); Will Patton (Armageddon, Remember the Titans); Francesco Quinn (Platoon, 24); Geno Silva (Amistad, Mulholland Drive); and Alan Tudyk (I, Robot, Firefly).

Night two is directed by Simon Wincer (Lonesome Dove, TNT's Monte Walsh and Crossfire Trail) from a script by Cyrus Nowrasteh (The Day Reagan Was Shot) and story by William Mastrosimone. It features Beau Bridges (We Were the Mulvaneys, Without Warning: The James Brady Story); Jessica Capshaw (The Practice, Minority Report); Emily Holmes (TNT's The Goodbye Girl, Paycheck); Robert Maloney (Panic in the Skies); Keri Russell (Felicity, We Were Soldiers, The Upside of Anger); and Jay Tavare (Cold Mountain, Executive Decision).

Night three is directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan (Taken, Battlestar Galactica) from a script by Craig Storper (Open Range) and story by William Mastrosimone. It features Nathaniel Arcand (The Unknown, TNT's Crazy Horse); Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings, 50 First Dates); Irene Bedard (TNT's Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee, Two for Texas); Gil Birmingham (Skins, Body & Soul); Tyler Christopher (General Hospital, Out of the Black); Balthazar Getty (Ladder 49, Traffic); Rachael Leigh Cook (Josie and the Pussycats, She's All That); Daniel Gillies (Spider-Man 2, Bride and Prejudice); Graham Greene (Dances with Wolves, TNT's The Broken Chain); Christian Kane (Friday Night Lights, TNT's Crossfire Trail); Russell Means (The Last of the Mohicans, Pocahontas); Matthew Modine (Le Divorce); Tyler Posey (Collateral Damage, Maid in Manhattan); John Terry (Full Metal Jacket, The Living Daylights); Sheila Tousey (Law & Order: SVU, Thunderheart).

Night four is directed by Michael W. Watkins (Boomtown, Las Vegas) from a script by Kirk Ellis (The Grass Harp) and story by William Mastrosimone. It features Rachael Leigh Cook, Christian Kane, Irene Bedard, Tom Berenger (Platoon, The Big Chill); Lance Henriksen (Millennium, Aliens); and Wes Studi (The Last of the Mohicans, Heat). Additional cast for night four will be announced later.

Night five is directed by Timothy Van Patten (The Sopranos, Homicide: Life on the Street, The Wire) from a script by William Mastrosimone. Cast for night five will be announced later.

Night six is directed by Jeremy Podeswa (Carnivale, Six Feet Under) from a script by Mastrosimone. Cast for night six will be announced later.

--------------------------------

[Libby]

Another article found by alfornos:

------------------------------------

Daily Variety

Feb. 24, 2005

Lance Henriksen ("Alien vs. Predator") has been tapped for the DreamWorks/TNT miniseries "Into the West."

Steven Spielberg is exec producing the oater about 19th century frontier life that follows several generations of white and Native American families. Henriksen will play a railroad worker in an ensemble that includes Josh Brolin, Skeet Ulrich, Keri Russell and Sean Astin.

Shooting is under way in Santa Fe, N.M.

Henriksen just finished miniseries "Supernova" for Hallmark Channel.

-------------------------------------------

[Walkabout]

I am looking forward to seeing the scenery of the Canadian Rockys. I hope to visit there in one of my first 'road' trips after I retire. Can't wait.

I hope Lance has a fairly involved part . It seems he is either one of the main characters or you barely get to see him. One movie he was on screen for maybe 5+ seconds and that was at the end of the movie .. what a disappointment that was..

[HighPlainsDrifter]

i believe i broke this story sometime back

[Libby]

Joe,

Now you mention it, I'm pretty sure you had already posted about this, it's just that I saw this article posted elsewhere and posted it over here without doing a search of the Board.

It would have been better if I'd thought to search first and then tag this article on to the end of that discussion.

Not trying to steal your thunder or anything - but the brain isn't functioning amazing well at the moment, as I'm rather under the weather, so I just posted it as that was the easiest thing to do.

[HighPlainsDrifter]

naw......your not stealing my thunder i did a small blurp on it, your detailed message is great

[The Old Man]

Hi,

I just came to post about this too!

Here's the official site at https://www.upcomingepics.com/into_the_west/

where you can view the trailer. I found the link whilst looking at both Lance and David Duchovney's IMDB.com's profiles to see if they mentioned the alledged new X-Files film as being in production.