Hell Or High Water Series - What We Know So Far

Taylor Sheridan has become a small-screen powerhouse with several successful TV projects on his resume, including the hit Paramount show "Yellowstone." But his efforts in the realm of cinema have also churned out some critically acclaimed gems (via Rotten Tomatoes), with one of his many standouts being the 2016 Western neo-noir crime drama, "Hell or High Water." Arguably one of Sheridan's most powerful big-screen narratives, the movie will be returning to the fold, but this time in the form of a television series.

"Hell or High Water" stars Chris Pine, and Ben Foster play a pair of bank-robbing brothers trying to save their land, on the run from two very experienced Texas Rangers played by Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham. Taylor Sheridan penned the screenplay, and the thriller was directed by David Mackenzie. The movie first arrived at the Cannes Film Festival (via The Hollywood Reporter) and, during its theatrical run, grossed $37.9 million at the box office off of a $12 million budget. The film earned impressive scores on Rotten Tomatoes and ended up being nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Editing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Picture.

There is no denying that the well-crafted motion picture could very well be considered by many to be one of Sheridan's best cinematic endeavors, and while he is not attached to the series version of "Hell or High Water," there are still plenty of reasons fans should not sleep on the small-screen adaptation.

There are a number of shows based on movies available for viewers to enjoy, and now the 2016 feature will add its name to the list of TV show comeback stories. In January 2022, Variety exclusively broke the news that "Hell or High Water" was being given the small screen treatment at Fox. The outlet reported that the project was currently in the works at the studio, and the series adaptation inspired by the neo-noir-western crime drama will fall under the one-hour drama format.

While there is no official premiere date or release window available for the show at this time, it does seem like the network is pretty confident in its potential ability to gain traction with viewers when there are so many options out there. The fact that the show has already earned a script, as well as an order for additional material from Fox, is a good sign the "Hell or High Water" television adaptation will probably be making its way to screens sooner, rather than later.

As far as the narrative is concerned, the "Hell or High Water" series will not be recreating the story that was seen in the 2016 feature. Instead, it will take heavy inspiration from Taylor Sheridan's writing, but will ultimately forge its own unique storylines to entertain viewers with each entry. When it was first announced that the movie was making the jump to the small screen, a number of other details were also released, including what is set to go down concerning the plot.

The "Hell or High Water" series will follow two brothers attempting to thwart the nefarious exploits of a greedy oil tycoon looking to take land from the hard-working citizens of a Texas ranch town, including their own. The only way they can take on such a powerful and well-connected adversary that is clearly out of their reach is to hit him where it truly hurts most — the wallet. The desperate duo embarks on a spree of bank robberies while being pursued by a Texas Ranger who has no intention of letting these boys continue to get away with breaking the law (via Deadline). While it will be somewhat similar, the path that the show on Fox is going to take looks like it could be a worthwhile experience.

When the big reveal was made that Fox was turning the well-received flick into a television show from Fox Entertainment and SK Global, several of the people heading up the project were also unveiled. While "Yellowstone" creator Taylor Sheridan, who wrote the screenplay for the film version of "Hell or High Water," will not be involved in the TV series, director David Mackenzie is attached as one of its many talented producers. Mackenzie is also known for directing "Outlaw King" and serving as executive producer on the critically acclaimed series "Under the Banner of Heaven" (via Rotten Tomatoes).

One of the other skilled and experienced individuals working on the "Hell or High Water" series is Jessica Mecklenberg, who will be serving as writer and executive producer (via TVLine). The Emmy nominee has some notable titles on her resume, indicating that the series adaptation of the 2016 motion picture seems to be in very good hands moving forward. While she has more than a few, her most noteworthy credits include "Dopesick," "Stranger Things," and "Saving Grace" (via IMDb). The personnel involved behind the scenes of the film arguably had a lot to do with the success of "Hell or High Water," and the roster for the show's creative team certainly has the experience to potentially have the same results on the small screen.

The "Hell or High Water" series will have a lot to offer viewers, and a number of reasons are there to give fans an incentive to check it out. The crime drama seems to be an entertaining affair for newcomers and those who enjoy the motion picture. But given what is known about the plot, it doesn't seem like people will have to see the movie to understand what is happening in the show. But if people do want to get acquainted with the source material before the small screen version makes its big debut, there are a number of options available. The 97-minute film is available for subscribers on the streaming service Hulu. But if Hulu isn't on the menu for some viewers, there are still plenty of options. 

The crime drama is available for consumers to buy or rent for movie night on many popular VOD outlets like YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV, Redbox, Vudu, and Amazon Prime.