Take A Shot At The 'Lawmen: Bass Reeves' Trailer

Paramount+ has released the trailer for Lawmen: Bass Reeves, starring David Oyelowo. It barrels toward its premiere on November 5 with its first two episodes.

Reeves worked in the post-Reconstruction era as a federal peace officer in the Indian Territory. He is said to have captured more than 3,000 of the most dangerous criminals without ever being wounded, and for it, he is considered the greatest frontier hero in American history. However, the responsibility of the badge, as we see bequeathed to him by Donald Sutherland’s character Judge Isaac Pearce, weighed heavily on him, constantly wrestling with its moral and spiritual effects on his dear family. 

David Oyelowo stars as Reeves, with Lauren E. Banks as Bass' wife Jennie Reeves, who’s definitely spotlighted more in this trailer, as is Dennis Quaid’s Deputy U.S. Marshall Sherrill Lynn. It also stars Demi Singleton as their daughter Sally, Forrest Goodluck as the Cherokee Billy Crow, and Barry Pepper as leader of the 1st Cherokee Mounted Rifles Esau Pierce. Recurring cast members include Shea Whigham, Garrett Hedlund, Mo Brings Plenty, Tosin Morohunfola, Margot Bingham, Dale Dickey, Justin Hurtt-Dunkley, Joaquina Kalukango, Lonnie Chavis, Rob Morgan, Ryan O’Nan, Grantham Coleman, and Bill Dawes.

“Growing up in Texas, I heard a lot of stories about Bass Reeves. They were always akin to a dime novel hero with incredibly fanciful flourishes of a gunslinging lawman pursuing the most-hardened outlaws in the Wild West,” said Chad Feehan, who created Bass Reeves and also serves as showrunner and executive producer. “Somewhere in my childhood that myth of Bass took firm root in my consciousness and never left. Then one day, not too long ago, David Oyelowo invited me to dinner. Over the course of our meal, he explained his seven-year journey to tell Bass’s story, where the myth of the man both converged with and separated from reality, and why Bass’s life was more relevant than ever.”

Feehan continued, saying “I immediately went home and scoured the internet, read books and listened to podcasts. I became obsessed with what I didn’t know, with all of the nooks and crannies of Bass’ remarkable life that aren’t regularly shared, as well as with revisiting the often-told tales through a now-adult lens. That spark of obsession morphed into a raging Fire of determination, fueled by my desire to play a role, no matter how big or small, and assist David in honoring the legacy of Deputy US Marshal Bass Reeves.”

Based on the first two books of The Bass Reeves Trilogy by Sidney Thompson, titled Follow the Angels, Follow the Doves, and Hell on the Border, Lawmen: Bass Reeves is the first of the Lawmen anthology series. Future seasons will follow other iconic lawmen and outlaws who have impacted history. The series is also executive produced by Taylor Sheridan, David C. Glasser, David’s wife Jessica Oyelowo, David Permut, Christina Alexandra Voros, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari and David Hutkin. It is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, 101 Studios, Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch Productions and Oyelowo’s Yoruba Saxon, and distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution outside of Paramount+’s international markets.