Fans of the HBO drama might get to see the return of Ian McShane’s Al Swearengen as Deadwood is looking like it’s getting ready to go before cameras this Fall.

The long-in-the-works return of Deadwood has been years in the making, but last summer it was confirmed that HBO programming President Casey Bloys confirmed that the project was starting to pick up steam. All they were waiting on was a script that delivered the goods and it looks like they got one that both fans and non-fans alike will find terrific.

As for the movie’s official start date, Bloys offered the following update:

“If they can get all the actors together, which they’re trying to do — and everybody wants to do it — if they can get everybody back together, we’re looking at fall 2018 to shoot something. But a lot of things have to fall into place for that to happen. But I’m optimistic.”

Bloys added an updated on the script by Deadwood creator David Milch too, “I’m waiting for a rewrite.” It’s been long rumored that Milch’s next iteration of Deadwood would focus on the town burning (which actually happened on Sept. 26, 1879, taking out 300 buildings) and saloon impresario Al Swearengen fleeing by barge.

Deadwood is writer-producer David Milch’s 2004 ultra-gritty Western starring Ian McShane and Timothy Olyphant which ran for three seasons before being unceremoniously canceled in the midst of a dispute over how to end the production between Milch and HBO. A Deadwood movie was in-the-works almost from the get-go but the air from that tire popped fast and fans were left idling for years.

This new momentum for a Deadwood film has been in talks since August 2015 so I guess we’ll start to hear more news from it as that Fall 2018 start date begins to loom ever-closer.

Images: HBO