Netflix has ordered a new Lonesome Dove drama series with Zoe Kazan and Jeb Stuart serving as co-showrunners, bringing Larry McMurtry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Western novel to the streaming platform. Teton Ridge Entertainment will produce the series, which follows retired Texas Rangers Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call on a cattle drive from the Rio Grande to Montana.
Key Takeaways
- Netflix has ordered a new Lonesome Dove drama series based on Larry McMurtry’s 1985 novel.
- Zoe Kazan and Jeb Stuart will serve as co-showrunners on the adaptation.
- Teton Ridge Entertainment will produce the series with Netflix.
- The story follows retired Texas Rangers Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call on a cattle drive from the Rio Grande to Montana.
- Executive producers include Teton Ridge Entertainment executives and representatives of the McMurtry Estate.
Netflix Orders the New Lonesome Dove Series
The Netflix Lonesome Dove series will adapt McMurtry’s 1985 novel, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The story follows Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call after their years as Texas Rangers as they set out on a final cattle drive across the American West.
The journey begins at the Rio Grande and takes the two former Rangers toward Montana. The series will draw on the novel’s setting in the 19th-century American West and its ensemble of characters.
Netflix announced the project on September 9, 2026, with Kazan and Stuart attached as co-showrunners. The announcement also confirmed Teton Ridge Entertainment as a production partner.
The project gives Netflix another literary adaptation from Kazan and Stuart, who are also working together on the forthcoming East of Eden series. That adaptation stars Florence Pugh, Christopher Abbott and Mike Faist and is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on October 1.
Kazan and Stuart said they were pleased to return to Netflix after their work on East of Eden. In a joint statement, they said they were “thrilled” to work with Netflix and Teton Ridge Entertainment on McMurtry’s Western novel.
The pair also said they approached the material with “love and respect” and expressed anticipation about working with Gus, Call and the other characters from McMurtry’s story.
Netflix Head of Scripted Series, UCAN, Jinny Howe also addressed the new project. Howe said Netflix wanted to continue working with Kazan and Stuart after East of Eden and described Lonesome Dove as “one of the great American stories.”
The new series joins other recent screen adaptations covered in Netflix’s established literary franchises, including Enola Holmes 3, which is based on Nancy Springer’s mystery novels.
Zoe Kazan and Jeb Stuart Lead the Adaptation
Kazan and Stuart will serve as co-showrunners, giving the Netflix Lonesome Dove series a shared creative leadership team. Their responsibilities follow their work together on the upcoming East of Eden adaptation.
The connection between the two projects is also part of Netflix’s announcement. Kazan and Stuart are moving from one literary adaptation to another, with Lonesome Dove based on McMurtry’s novel and East of Eden based on John Steinbeck’s 1952 novel.
The forthcoming East of Eden series stars Florence Pugh as Cathy Ames, Christopher Abbott as Adam Trask and Mike Faist as Charles Trask. Netflix has positioned that project as Kazan and Stuart’s earlier collaboration for the streaming service.
Kazan and Stuart said their experience working on East of Eden informed their decision to reunite with Netflix and Teton Ridge Entertainment for Lonesome Dove. Their joint statement described the new project as an opportunity to bring McMurtry’s Western classic to television.
The creators will also work with Teton Ridge Entertainment, which is producing the series. Executive producers include Thomas Tull, Jillian Share and Jen Gorton of Teton Ridge Entertainment, along with Jon Jashn, Diana Ossana and Curtis McMurtry of the McMurtry Estate.
The project follows other recent adaptations of established literary properties, including Christopher Nolan’s Homer adaptation The Odyssey, which brings a classical work of literature to the screen.
Larry McMurtry’s Novel Provides the Source Material
McMurtry published Lonesome Dove in 1985. The novel went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and became one of the author’s best-known works.
The book centers on Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call, retired Texas Rangers who undertake a cattle drive from the Rio Grande toward Montana. The journey provides the central framework for the Netflix adaptation.
McMurtry died in 2021. His writing career included novels that were later adapted into films, including Terms of Endearment and The Last Picture Show.
He also co-wrote the screenplay for Brokeback Mountain, based on Annie Proulx’s short story. The film won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Lonesome Dove spent more than five consecutive months on The New York Times bestseller list, according to Netflix’s announcement. The novel remains part of McMurtry’s widely adapted body of work.
The Netflix adaptation will bring the book’s Western setting and central characters into a drama series. The project retains the cattle-drive premise while placing Kazan and Stuart in charge of adapting the story for television.
Netflix’s announcement also identifies members of the McMurtry Estate among the series’ executive producers. Curtis McMurtry joins Jon Jashn and Diana Ossana in representing the estate on the production.
Screen adaptations of books also include projects such as the Magic School Bus film adaptation, which is based on Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen’s children’s book franchise.
Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call Anchor the Western Story
Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call are the central characters in the announced Lonesome Dove adaptation. Both are retired Texas Rangers who leave the Rio Grande on a cattle drive that takes them toward Montana.
The story is set across the American West during the 19th century. The journey brings the two men through a landscape that includes frontier communities, wilderness and the challenges associated with the cattle drive.
Netflix describes the series as an epic drama built around the two former Rangers and their journey. The story also includes a larger group of characters encountered during the trip.
McCrae and Call’s relationship is central to the novel and its adaptation. The two men undertake the journey together after their years as Texas Rangers, giving the series its primary character pairing.
The announced premise also includes personal and frontier conflicts alongside the cattle drive. Netflix’s description refers to themes of friendship, longing, justice and the search for a meaningful life within the Western setting.
Kazan and Stuart said they were looking forward to working with Gus and Call and the other characters from McMurtry’s novel. Their comments confirm that the adaptation will remain centered on the established characters while translating the story into a television drama.
No actors have been announced for the roles of McCrae and Call. Netflix has also not disclosed a premiere date for the series.
Teton Ridge Entertainment Joins Netflix on the Series
Teton Ridge Entertainment is producing the Netflix Lonesome Dove series. Its executive producers on the project include Thomas Tull, Jillian Share and Jen Gorton.
The McMurtry Estate is also represented among the executive producers. Jon Jashn, Diana Ossana and Curtis McMurtry are attached in that capacity.
Jillian Share, President of Teton Ridge Entertainment, said Lonesome Dove is a story with established characters and a broad depiction of the American West. Share said the company sees an opportunity to bring McMurtry’s work to a new generation of audiences.
Netflix’s Howe also said the streaming service wanted to work with Kazan and Stuart again following East of Eden. She said the new series would allow the pair to bring their work on character and setting to McMurtry’s novel.
The partnership brings Netflix, Teton Ridge Entertainment, Kazan and Stuart, and representatives of the McMurtry Estate together for the adaptation.
The series will follow the cattle drive from the Rio Grande to Montana and draw its characters and story from McMurtry’s novel. Netflix has yet to announce the actors who will join the production or a release date.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will the new Lonesome Dove series premiere on Netflix?
Netflix has not announced a premiere date for the new Lonesome Dove series. The project has received a series order and has Zoe Kazan and Jeb Stuart attached as co-showrunners.
Who is creating the new Lonesome Dove series?
Zoe Kazan and Jeb Stuart will serve as co-showrunners. Teton Ridge Entertainment is producing the series with Netflix.
Is Netflix’s Lonesome Dove based on Larry McMurtry’s novel?
Yes. The series adapts McMurtry’s 1985 novel Lonesome Dove, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Who are Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call in Lonesome Dove?
Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call are retired Texas Rangers who undertake a cattle drive from the Rio Grande toward Montana. They are the central characters in the announced Netflix adaptation.
Has Netflix announced the cast for Lonesome Dove?
Netflix has not announced the cast for the new series. Zoe Kazan and Jeb Stuart are attached as co-showrunners, while Teton Ridge Entertainment and members of the McMurtry Estate are involved as executive producers.
