AMC+ has acquired the spaghetti western drama series That Dirty Black Bag from BRON Studios and Palomar, part of Mediawan Intl Group.
The series features an all-star ensemble cast led by Dominic Cooper (Preacher, Spy City) and Douglas Booth (The Dirt, Loving Vincent), with Niv Sultan (Tehran), Guido Caprino (The Miracle), Christian Cooke (The Promise, Ordeal by Innocence), Travis Fimmel (Vikings, Raised by Wolves), and Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones, Kin) co-starring.
The eight-part series was filmed in Italy, Spain, and Morocco and will make its exclusive U.S., Canadian, and Australian premieres on AMC+ in March/April 2022.
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“That Dirty Black Bag is a raw, epic, and romantic series about the dark side of the Far West,” reads the official synopsis. “The story describes the 8-day clash between Arthur McCoy, played by Dominic Cooper, an incorruptible sheriff with a troubled past, and Red Bill, played by Douglas Booth, an infamous, solitary bounty hunter known for decapitating his victims and stuffing their heads into a dirty black bag, because, as he puts it, ‘Heads weigh less than bodies.’ The drama echoes and pays homage to the classic spaghetti western, capturing the genre’s legendary irony while revolutionizing it in a modern way for new audiences. The series tells of bounty hunters, bandits and bloody vendettas, lonely souls driven by such great passions as faith, love, and revenge. In the world of That Dirty Black Bag, there are no heroes, nobody is invincible, and predators become the prey.”
The project comes from the creative mind of rising Italian filmmaker Mauro Aragoni (Nuraghes S’Arena), who co-wrote the series with writers Silvia Ebreul (The Hunter), Marcello Izzo (The Hunter), and Fabio Paladini (The Hunter) and will also direct. Brian O’Malley (The Lodgers) is also directing. PJ Dillon (Game of Thrones) is Director of Photography.
“With its propulsive script and incredible ensemble cast, AMC+ is proud to partner with BRON and Palomar on this innovative reimagining of the classic Western,” said Courtney Thomasma, general manager for AMC+. “We’re also excited to bring AMC+ subscribers another thrilling, high-stakes adventure of love and bloodlust in the Old West, following the enduring popularity of our AMC original series Hell on Wheels and The Son.”
That Dirty Black Bag also stars Paterson Joseph (The Leftovers), Rose Williams (Sanditon, Curfew), Anna Chancellor (The Split, Pennyworth, The Hour), Zoe Boyle (Downton Abbey, Four Weddings and a Funeral), Eugene Brave Rock (Wonder Woman 1984) and Ivan Shaw (Nocturne, Insecure).
“We are delighted to be launching That Dirty Black Bag, our reinvention of the classic spaghetti western, with AMC+,” said David Davoli, President of BRON Television. “With their proven eye for innovative storytelling, and their commitment to supporting the growth of international television, AMC Networks is the ideal partner to be unveiling this genre-bending epic series with. We look forward to sharing this electrifying and daring new series with their subscribers in the U.S. and around the world.”
“We embarked in this project with a great ambition: to make something unexpected and modern inspired by the tradition of the Spaghetti Western. It was a real adventure and a challenge due to the complexities and difficulties of the last 2 years but thanks to a group of fantastic people we achieved our goal. And, frankly speaking, we really also had a lot of fun shooting this show. The AMC+ acquisition is for us a great confirmation of this journey and we couldn’t be more proud,” added Nicola Serra, co-CEO of Palomar.
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BRON and Palomar are co-producing, with BRON’s David Davoli, Aaron L. Gilbert, Steven Thibault, and Samantha Thomas, joining Carlo Degli Esposti, Nicola Serra and Patrizia Massa from Palomar as Executive Producers. The 8-part scripted television series is being produced in English with three seasons already planned. Mediawan has secured French rights to the series. BRON Releasing and Palomar Mediawan are handling international sales.
