Not content with critically acclaimed dramas like Mad Men and Breaking Bad, nor the buzz of the upcoming Walking Dead adaptation, AMC is continuing to branch out in the drama department with new Western pilot Hell on Wheels.
Set in the 1860s, the series focuses on the construction of America’s first Transcontinental Railroad, as viewed through the eyes of central character Cullen Bohannan, a former confederate soldier who is (of course) on a quest for vengeance that’ll take him across the country if the series progresses. AMC’s SVP of original programming, Joel Stillerman, describes the importance of the background by saying
The epic setting provides the perfect backdrop for the early industrialism and corruption surrounding the project; the incredible immigrant experience; and the good, the bad, and the ugly of what it took to get this railroad built.
The pilot was written by Joe and Tony Gayton, writers of the upcoming Dwayne Johnston/Carla Gugino movie Faster; shooting begins next month.
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