Netflix digs into the story surrounding the hunt for Bonnie and Clyde with the dramatic film, The Highwaymen. The official trailer begins with Woody Harrelson as Texas Ranger Maney Gault asking Kevin Costner as Texas Ranger Frank Hamer how many bullets he has in him. “16, I think,” replies two-time Oscar winner Costner as Hamer. Three-time Oscar nominee Harrelson’s Gault then suggests it might be good to have a doctor look at him sometime.
The trailer goes on to reveal Bonnie and Clyde have escaped and are wanted fugitives. The governor guarantees they’ll be captured, and apparently the man for the job is Frank Hamer. Maney Gault invites himself along on the hunt for the outlaws which will involve old-school (even for the time) interrogation methods.
Costner thoroughly researched Frank Hamer prior to taking on the role. “Texas Rangers had been disbanded because their way of doing things, like anything in life sometimes, had fallen out of favor,” explained Costner. “Frank was hired and fired multiple times by sitting governors, but politics ran pretty hot in Texas, not unlike other places. The outlaws had bigger engines and superior firepower, which created mayhem for local law enforcement, who struggled to bring Bonnie and Clyde to task. What they really needed was an old-fashioned manhunter, somebody who was dogged and not answering to anybody but his own instincts.”
The film, which is based on an untold true story, also stars Kathy Bates as Governor Ma Ferguson, John Carroll Lynch as Texas Prison System Head Lee Simmons, and Kim Dickens as Gladys Hamer. Emily Brobst plays Bonnie Parker and Ed Bossert is Clyde Barrow.
John Fusco wrote the screenplay and Casey Silver produced the action drama. The behind the scenes team includes cinematographer John Schwartzman, production designer Michael Corenblith, editor Robert Frazen, and costume designer Michael Orlandi. Thomas Newman composed the film’s score.
Netflix is planning on releasing the film in theaters on March 15, 2019, followed by its release on the streaming service on March 29.
The Plot:
“The outlaws made headlines. The lawmen made history. From director John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side), The Highwaymen follows the untold true 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 (Costner and Harrelson) must rely on their gut instincts and old school skills to get the job done.”
