Netflix orders Coen Brothers anthology drama

Subscription VOD service Netflix has commissioned a Western anthology drama from director pair Joel and Ethan Coen, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.

The series will run on the service next year, with the quirky Hollywood director pair (pictured) writing, executive producing and directing. Annapurna Television will produce.

The series will feature six tales about the American frontier, shot through a Coen Brothers lens. Each episode, or chapter, will be a “distinct” story, according to Netflix.

Tim Blake Nelson will star as the titular Buster Scruggs.

Annapurna’s Megan Ellison and Sue Naegle will also executive produce, along with longtime Coen Brothers collaborator Robert Graf.

The Coen Brothers are known for creating an extensive list of movies such as Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski, Barton Fink, There Will Be Blood, A Simple Man, Burn After Reading and Inside Llewyn Davis.

A Noah Hawkey-led TV adaptation of their 1996 film Fargo has spawned three seasons on US cable channel FX, and sold internationally to channels such as Channel 4 in the UK.

“The Coens are visionary directors, masterful storytellers, and colourful linguists,” said Cindy Holland, VP of original content for Netflix. “We are thrilled for Netflix to become home to the full range of their talents.”