It’s hard to tell at this point when originality is going to step into the forefront of Hollywood once again since making A Fistful of Dollars into a TV series isn’t exactly announcing that anyone is doing something entirely new and creative. The idea is definitely stating that taking old ideas and recycling them is still a trend and likely will be for a while to come, but apart from that, it’s apparently saying that writers are being given the easy out at this time in order to simply push more ideas that are based in a very blatant manner on old movies and shows that people might say they want to see again but could possibly ignore once they see what’s been done to them. It’s obvious that Clint Eastwood fans might be eager to see what’s been done to bring this series to life and could even think that it will be something special, but at this time it simply feels like a mother dodge away from the creativity that a lot of people claim to want but aren’t ready to embrace since it means tackling something different that they might not fully understand or appreciate. So far it doesn’t sound as though there are too many details to report on this show, so it’s easy to wonder just what it’s going to be like and how it’s going to pay homage to the movie.
A lot of Clint Eastwood fans might be divided on this particular series since a good number of them would rather see the movies he helped to make so great left alone and not touched or remade, or redone in any way. Others would likely argue that the series isn’t bound to touch upon the original, as it’s based on the movie and isn’t necessarily a way to alter the original movie in any form. Of course, that argument might fall on deaf ears since Eastwood fans, the diehards especially, are often of the mind that anything that Clint has done is sacrosanct and needs to be left alone, largely because it was something that he did and it should be respected. There are a few movie stars whose fans would say the same thing about their movies, but the truth is that Hollywood is bound to do what feels right when it comes to certain properties and it’s very possible that a lot of people won’t like what they see, or they’ll at least give it a chance before growing to like it. This feels like one of those times when people will refuse to watch it since it won’t be featuring Eastwood, or they’ll at least give the benefit of the doubt and possibly grow to like it. Given how iconic Eastwood made the role that was so important to the movie there’s bound to be a bit of pressure that will be placed on those creating it since anything less than their best is going to be called out for certain.
This is how it goes with fans a lot of the time, especially when it comes to basing anything off of a movie or another show that was a hit in its own time and has become a classic later. Clint Eastwood movies, quite a few of them anyway, are often talked about and defended in a big way since he’s been such an influential actor throughout the years. Speaking from a personal standpoint it’s likely that the series could be something that might draw people in simply because Eastwood movies ARE that great, but again, that pressure to do well and to be as impressive as it can be is going to be present throughout the entire process since fans will be watching and they’ll be on the lookout for every little thing that could be considered a tripping point for the show. It’s the nature of fans, unfortunately, especially those that are expecting what they’re seeing to be up the same standards as what inspired the current project. The show could be something special, but unless it’s willing to go above and beyond when it comes to the type of entertainment it delivers then it’s very likely that the show won’t last for long.
That sounds kind of pessimistic, I get it, but the truth is that a lot of shows come and go without anyone ever knowing since they simply fail to inspire the right people at the right moment. Westerns belong to a genre that comes and goes every now and then and is really only embraced by those that remember the old movies and shows and those that are so set in their ways as to say that the likes of Eastwood and John Wayne are the last true men of their time. Hopefully, the show lives up to the hype.
