David Oyelowo Is Ready To Ride In ‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ Series Trailer
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Paramount + has released the official trailer for Lawmen: Bass Reeves. Shared on Tuesday (Oct. 10), the clip stars David Oyelowo as the historic figure who went from slavery to becoming the first known Black U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi.
“You a lawman or an outlaw?” asks a child to Reeves in the trailer.
“I reckon, I’m a bit of both,” he sternly responds.
“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,” explained series creator and showrunner Chad Feehan per Deadline.
“Somewhere in my childhood, that myth of Bass took firm root in my consciousness and never left. Then one day, not too long ago, David Oyelowo invited me to dinner. Over the course of our meal, he explained his seven-year journey to tell Bass’ story, where the myth of the man both converged with and separated from reality, and why Bass’ life was more relevant than ever.”
Oyelowo is also executive producing alongside Freehand. Additionally, the series stars Lauren E. Banks, Demi Singleton, Forrest Goodluck, Barry Pepper, Donald Sutherland, and Dennis Quaid.
According to the Oklahoma Historical Society, Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves was born as a slave in Arkansas and grew up in Lamar and Grayson counties, Texas, where he belonged to Col. George R. Reeves. He worked for 32 years as a deputy marshal, becoming an expert marksman, and earning celebrity status during his lifetime in the Indian Territory. During his storied career, he brought his own son in for murder once he received the warrant.
The series synopsis describes, “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.”
Future installments of the anthology series will follow other lawmen and outlaws who have impacted history. Lawmen: Bass Reeves premieres exclusively on Paramount + with two episodes on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. Watch the trailer above, and check out additional images below.
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