Kevin Bacon Heads to the Dirty South for Hulu’s SOUTHERN BASTARDS Pilot
Kevin Bacon is stepping into a gritty new world, and it sounds like the kind of role he can really sink his teeth into. The actor has officially signed on to lead Hulu’s upcoming drama pilot Southern Bastards, a crime story packed with small-town tension, football obsession, and a whole lot of trouble brewing beneath the surface.
The project comes from director and executive producer Reinaldo Marcus Green, best known for King Richard, and it’s pulling from some seriously strong source material.
The series is based on the acclaimed graphic novels by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour, who are also on board as executive producers. If you’ve read the comics, you already know this story doesn’t pull punches.
Set in Craw County, Alabama, Southern Bastards follows a determined military veteran who heads back home searching for her estranged father. Instead of a quiet reunion, she walks straight into a violent web of corruption.
The town is controlled by a ruthless empire tied to high school football, led by a coach who has turned winning into power and power into something far more dangerous.
Bacon plays Earl, a blue-collar army vet with deep roots in the county. He’s the son of Sheriff Bert, a man who once ruled the town with an iron grip.
Earl isn’t just coming home to reconnect with his daughter, he’s also stepping back into a place that hasn’t exactly gotten any softer over the years. And he isn’t the type to sit quietly when things get ugly.
The creative team includes Bill Dubuque, known for Ozark, wrote the teleplay and executive produces alongside showrunner Matt Olmstead.
The story credit is shared with Nia DaCosta, and the producing lineup includes Ryan Coogler, Sev Ohanian, and Zinzi Coogler through Proximity Media.
Bacon comes into this fresh off the SXSW premiere of Family Movie, a horror comedy he directed and starred in alongside his wife Kyra Sedgwick and their kids Sosie Bacon and Travis Bacon. It’s a fun contrast to the darker tone of Southern Bastards, showing just how wide his range still is.
As for Green, King Richard earned six Academy Award nominations. He followed that up with Bob Marley: One Love, and up next, he’s tackling Marvel with The Punisher: One Last Kill, set to hit Disney+ on May 12.
Southern Bastards is sure to be a hard-edged Southern crime drama with bite. Between Bacon’s casting, the creative team involved, and the raw material it’s pulling from, this could end up being one of Hulu’s more intense offerings if it moves forward to series.
Source: Deadline