FX’s limited series adaptation of the Academy Award winning film Fargo just became the must-see TV event of Spring 2014, with the addition of even more big names to its cast.
Previously announced as being a true crime story with new characters, while retaining the “trademark humour, murder and ‘Minnesota nice’ from the classic film,” Fargo will see previous Coen Brothers collaborator Billy Bob Thornton play the manipulative Lorne Malvo. His path will cross with that of a small town insurance salesman named Lester Nygaard (played by Martin Freeman), setting him on a path to destruction.
Colin Hanks – known for The Good Guys and Dexter, but also currently appearing in the critically acclaimed movie Parkland – will co-star as Duluth Police Deputy Gus Grimly.
This week the wider cast has been announced, and it seems that showrunner Noah Hawley has been shopping through some of the hottest titles in recent years. Riding the crest of Breaking Bad’s wave, Bob Odenkirk is confirmed as playing Deputy Bill Olsen, who has seniority over more ambitious colleague Molly Solverson, played by Allison Tolman.
Oliver Platt – best known for Huff, Frost/Nixon and 2012, but most recently for The Big C – will play Stavros Milos, the “Supermarket King of Minnesota.” Kate Walsh of Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice fame, will play Gina Hess – a stripper raising teenage twin sons – and Glenn Howerton from FXX’s It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia will play Don Chumph, an ambitious personal trainer.
Noah Hawley – writer and co-producer of Bones, and published author – is the driving force behind this 10 episode extension of the stylised Fargo world; writing, executive producing and showrunning the series. Speaking to Fargo Magazine in July 2013, he explained the involvement of Joel and Ethan Coen:
“The Coens are executive producers on the project and I’ve spoken with them a few times. They don’t claim to know anything about television, but they like the script and they’re enthusiastic about it. In some ways, nobody wants to be the guy who ruined the Coen brothers. You know, it couldn’t be a more daunting task, but you kind of just put that out of your head and do the work. What’s fun about it is that there’s no easy morality to their work. I can always say as a writer, no matter how odd or unexpected a story might be, you just go, ‘well, that’s what they do.’ It gives you a lot of permission to really push the boundaries. It’s great fun though, I can’t lie.”
With Fargo set to begin shooting in November 2013, anticipation should be fever-pitch by the time it airs in Spring 2014.
Tell us, are you looking forward to the show? Let us know in the comments below.
