David Milch Signs Deal to Bring William Faulkner Stories to HBO

David Milch and HBO have inked a new deal that will see Milch, creator or co-creator of Deadwood and John from Cincinnati, bring the works of William Faulkner to the small screen.

The new commitment will see Milch’s Redboard Productions produce TV series and original movies based on books written by the iconic Faulkner, a Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winner.

As well as being a prolific writer of short stories, Faulkner’s most celebrated novels include The Sound and the Fury (1929), As I Lay Dying (1930), Light in August (1932), and Absalom, Absalom! (1936), so there are rich pickings here. Milch and his colleagues can cherry-pick what they like as well – the deal signed with the writer’s literary estate covers all of the 19 novels and 125 short stories in the estate.

Milch co-created the venerable cop drama NYPD Blue, and is also behind Luck, the upcoming horse racing drama. Luck, Deadwood and John from Cincinnati were all HBO series. This latest deal gives HBO first dibs on producing Faulkner works as movies, miniseries and/or series, apart from those Faulkner works already being shot for film or TV.

Milch is rubbing his hands at the opportunity of bringing Faulkner to TV screens, stating:

“I’m delighted to expand my longstanding relationship with HBO to encompass the adaptation of some of the most important literary works by any American writer into television films and series. As we embark on this ambitious project, our first commitment is to serve the material, and we look forward to identifying and collaborating with the best screenwriters and filmmakers to help each of the pieces find its ideal form onscreen.”

Luck (on which Milch is credited as executive producer stars Dustin Hoffman and debuts in January.