Holdonholdonholdholdon. What?
[NBC] handed out a pilot order to the Charlize Theron-produced Hatfields & McCoys, marking its ninth drama this season.
Set in present-day Pittsburgh, the drama begins when a startling death reignites the feud between these two legendary families. Unleashing decades of resentment, the blue-collar McCoys will put the Hatfields’ wealth and power at risk as they go to war for control of the city. [THR]
I’m sure this is one of those things that will make sense as more of it is unveiled, and, hey, for all I know this show will need to back a dump truck down the red carpet to haul out all its Emmys in a year or two, but let’s just briefly recap the facts so far: Charlize Theron, a gorgeous Oscar-winning movie star who hails from South Africa, is producing a present-day, Yinzer version of the famous Hatfields and McCoys story. Read that sentence a few times. Like, really read it. Break it down piece by piece, go get a snack, come back, do it again, etc. Let the whole thing wash over you.
It’s strange, right? Like, at least a little strange? It’s not that Charlize Theron isn’t a legit producer (her credits include Monster, Young Adult, and an upcoming HBO project with David Fincher), and it’s not that a modern-day Hatfields and McCoys story is outlandish, it’s just… Maybe it’s the Pittsburgh thing. Or maybe I just need another cup of coffee. I don’t know. Something is really strange here.
I have much to ponder
Photo credit: cinemafestival/Shutterstock
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This is my hell.
As the resident Yinzer, I’m sort of at a loss, too. However, maybe Rita from Arrested Development will make an appearance as one of the McCoy’s wives.
Hartfiled & McCoys: The Battle of Monroeville.
So this is like the Baz Luhrmann Romeo + Julliet without all the class and sophistication of the fictional late-20th century Verona.
That’s exactly what I thought of, too.
Eh, it could work.
I read this and I thought it was stupid, too. But I was reading words on the interwebs instead of having Ms. Theron tell me about the show personally. Outside of “do you want to stop having sex with me”, I can’t imagine telling her no to anything.
Yes, Charlize, I think you would have made a much more authentic Malcolm X than Denzel.
*pulls up bucket from well* Yup, still a little bit down there.
So is Hines Ward in this as well?
I can only suspend so much disbelief. If anything set in downtown Pittsburgh after 6 pm doesn’t show it as a desolate wasteland devoid of human life, I’m out.
There is actually a logical reason for it to be set in Pittsburgh. Despite barely being a city, there are apparently more film crews available to work concurrently in and around the city than are in a lot of larger cities.
I’ve got to imagine it’s cheaper to film here as well, since cost of living’s pretty reasonable.
Pittsburgh offers a tax break for the entertainment industry which is why so many movies have been shot there in the past few years. Plus it’s one of the few places in America where pregnant women smoking is tolerated…so there’s that.
Well how else do you expect them to keep their weight down while scarfing down enough Primanti’s sandwiches with cole slaw and french fries on them for two? Then you add in hot dogs from the O. I mean, come on. What are we, superhuman*?
*says the person who gets legitimately pissed if someone is smoking in their own car close enough for her to smell it
I’ll be shocked if this is slightly better than terrible. Big Ben might get his acting chops wet, which will be hilarious.