The Thicket: Peter Dinklage and Juliette Lewis join the cast of Tubi’s dark Western thriller

Joe R. Lansdale‘s novel, The Thicket, is being turned into a dark Western thriller for Tubi. The project stars Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones, Six Feet Under, The Toxic Avenger) and Juliette Lewis (Natual Born Killers, Yellowjackets), who’ve recently traveled to Calgary, Canada, where principle production is underway.

In addition to Dinklage and Lewis, The Thicket stars Esmé Creed-Miles (Hanna), Levon Hawke (The Crowded Room, Pussy Island), Leslie Grace (In The Heights, Batgirl), Gbenga Akinnagbe (The Old Man, Edge of Darkness), Macon Blair (I Care A Lot), James Hetfield (Metallica), Ned Dennehy (Peaky Blinders, Good Omens), Andrew Schulz (Infamous, You People), and Arliss Howard (Mank, Moneyball).

Here’s a synopsis via Deadline‘s exclusive report:

Set at the turn of the century, The Thicket follows an innocent young man, Jack (Hawke), who goes on an epic quest to rescue his sister Lula (Creed-Miles) after she has been kidnapped by the violent killer Cut Throat Bill (Lewis) and her gang. To save her, Jack enlists the help of a crafty bounty hunter named Reginald Jones (Dinklage), a grave-digging alcoholic son of an ex-slave (Akinnagbe), and a street-smart prostitute (Grace). The gang tracks Cut Throat Bill into the deadly no man’s land known as The Big Thicket — a place where blood and chaos reign.

Elliot Lester (Nightingale, Blitz) directs from a script by the playwright Christopher Kelly. Guillermo Garza will act as DP, with Ray Suen (Childish Gambino, Lorde) arranging the score.

Dinklage has had his sights set on The Thicket for a long time. He’s been attached to the project for a decade, with cast members changing throughout the process.

“As Tubi deepens its commitment to a wide range of genres, we are incredibly excited to begin production on The Thicket, which has been a passion project for so many involved,” said Adam Lewinson, Chief Content Officer, Tubi. “This elevated western thriller led by Peter Dinklage and an exceptionally talented team of artists delivers on genre expectations while adding so much more to make the journey into The Thicket unique and mesmerizing.” 

“I’m so very excited to bring Joe Lansdale’s riveting story to the screen,” said Dinklage. “A journey into the heart of darkness to find love and return it to its rightful place.”

What do you think about the concept for The Thicket? If you’ve read Lansdale’s novel, what do you think? Feel free to let us know in the comments below.