If the first season ofHBO’s Emmy-winningTrue Detective, FX’s Emmy-winningJustifiedor Roadside Attractions’Oscar-nominatedWinter’s Bonehad you captivated,you’re in for a treat, as authorDaniel Woodrell’s The Bayou Trilogy has just landed a TV series adaptation with Timberman-Beverly and Lionsgate.
“Daniel Woodrell is a brilliant storyteller, wordsmith and poet, and his books are a master class in character, crime fiction and the South,” said Beverly speaking withDeadline. “He plunges readers into the murky depths of his characters' lives, often revealing ugly truths, then quickly derails any premature scorekeeping by peeling back the layers of their humanity and emotional turmoil. We’ve chased Woodrell’s Louisiana opus for over a decade and are thrilled to finally bring these audacious, genre-defining novels to television.”
‘The Bayou Trilogy’ Spotlights a Common Occurrence of Misdeads Without Consequences For Lack Of An Audience In Remote Areas
‘‘The Bayou Trilogy’ synopsis reads: “In the parish of St. Bruno, sex is easy, corruption festers, and double-dealing is a way of life. Rene Shade is an uncompromising detective swimming in a sea of filth. As Shade takes on hitmen, porn kings, a gang of ex-cons, and the ghosts of his own checkered past, Woodrell’s three seminal novels pit long-entrenched criminals against the hard line of the law, brother against brother, and two vastly different sons against a long-absent father. ‘The Bayou Trilogy’ highlights the origins of a one-of-a-kind author, a writer who for over two decades has created an indelible representation of the shadows of the rural American experience and has steadily built a devoted following among crime fiction aficionados and esteemed literary critics alike.”
While we wait for what promises to be a raw look at the seedy criminal underworld of St. Bruno parish, we can look forward to the reunion season of Beverly and Timberman’s FX seriesJustified, which will be based on Elmore Leonard’s novel,“City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit,‘just asJustifiedwas based Leonard’s on ‘Fire in the Hole.‘Timothy Olyphant is already attached to the project.
If you’re looking for a deep dive into rural Louisiana, Showtime has a five-part docu-series,Murder in the Bayou. The synopsis reads, “Based on a best-selling book, this five-part true crime docu-series investigates the unsolved murders of 8 women whose bodies were discovered in drainage canals and on desolate back roads in and around Jennings, Louisiana. In examining the lives of the young victims, the series uncovers secrets of this troubled town. These discoveries lead to even more shocking accusations by victims’ relatives and friends of corruption, bad actors and institutional injustices that have left the town still searching for truth.”
Scream: The True Storyfrom Discovery+, premiering on January 14, tells the tale of thereal-life murderer who inspired Kevin Williamson’s screenplay forScream. Danny Rolling, a.k.a The Gainesville Ripper, murdered eight victims in Shreveport, Louisiana and Gainesville, Florida from 1989-1990. The series will focus on paranormal investigations and expert interviews concerning the supernatural presence of Louisiana’s Danny Rolling.
