They are perhaps the most famous couple of American criminals. They traveled the Central United States with their gang, during the Great Depression, robbing people and killing when cornered or confronted. Their exploits captured the attention of the American public during the “Public Enemy Era”, between 1931 and 1936. They committed at least a dozen bank robberies, killed at least nine police officers and several civilians, and assaulted uncountable small shops and gas stations. At the time of their death, she was 23 years old while he was 25. They are Bonnie and Clyde.
A story like theirs, so full of dramatic cinematographical intensity and potential, couldn’t be but to portraited in the big and small screen several times. The most popular ones are Arthur Penn’s 2 times Oscar winner Bonnie and Clyde (1967), starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, and 4 Primetime Emmys nominated Bonnie & Clyde (2013– ) TV series with Emile Hirsch and Holliday Grainger in the main roles. But many other adaptations with more or less success have appeared along the years.
In The Highwaymen (2019) the story is told from another perspective. It follows the untold story of the legendary detectives who brought down Bonnie and Clyde. When the full force of the FBI and the latest forensic technology aren’t enough to capture the nation’s most notorious criminals, two former Texas Rangers Frank Hamer and Maney Gault (portrayed by Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson) must rely on their gut instincts and old school skills to get the job done. The movie is directed by John Lee Hancock, a multi-nominated and awarded specialist of biography dramas responsible of titles like The Founder (2016), Saving Mr. Banks (2013), The Blind Side (2009) or The Alamo (2004). John Fusco, writer of Crossroads (1986), the Young Guns saga, Thunderheart (1992) or Loch Ness (1996) among others, was in charge of the screenplay for The Highwaymen (2019).
Besides the main duo Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson, a cast of popular faces like Kathy Bates, Kim Dickens, John Carroll Lynch, W. Earl Brown, Thomas Mann, David Furr, Jesse C. Boyd, Jane McNeill, Billy Slaughter, David Dwyer and Jason Davis also star.
The Highwaymen (2019) will premiere on the 10th of March at South by Southwest Film Festival. Later that month, the 29th of March, the movie will be part of the Netflix Originals catalog. The popular streaming platform has made public the first trailer that you can watch here:
