Will There Ever Be a Longmire Movie?
The misfortune Longmire experienced after infamously being dropped by A&E network in 2014 (despite the show being the network's highest-rated original drama series at the time) ultimately became one of the best things to happen to the Western crime drama.
Netflix picked up Longmire for season four and the rest was history. The series went on to have a memorable run on Netflix as the popular streaming giant developed three more seasons. However, ever since season six culminated in 2017, fans of the franchise have been clinging to the hope of a Longmire movie.
It's not an unreasonable request considering that movie versions of popular TV shows have become increasingly popular of late (i.e. Teen Wolf: The Movie). Moreover, it's not like Netflix doesn't have the budget to greenlight a film adaptation. The TV show was extremely compelling and generated a cult following.
Craig Johnson, the author of the Longmire books, was interviewed a couple years back about the subject. During the interview, Johnson admitted that he was open to the idea of writing a Longmire movie. Notwithstanding, it would require the working schedules of all the actors previously involved in the Longmire TV show to have availability to reunite for a film production.
There was hope that this would happen post-pandemic as many people in the entertainment industry were sidelined from work. In fact, back then Johnson agreed that it may create the perfect storm for all the cast members to return for a Longmire movie.
Unfortunately, that was almost two years ago and no new updates. It could be that Netflix is waiting to see how some of these other film adaptations of popular TV shows perform with audiences. There is definitely still a demand for a Longmire feature-length movie.
In an interview with the TV Insider, Robert Taylor was asked about a movie.
"You never say never… there have been formal talks about doing some Longmire movies. I know that all of us would like to do it."
Sounds encouraging considering Taylor played the lead character. Perhaps Walt Longmire can rally the rest of the cast for a reunion.
After all, it's apparent the rest of the cast has not forgotten about the show. It's true several of the most prominent cast members have been actively participating and supporting Longmire Days, a festival for fans held each summer. There is no doubt that the cult following of Longmire are desperate for a movie version.
There is a general belief that the series finale (S6, E10: "Goodbye is Always Implied") failed to wrap up some critical parts of the story. Thus, a Longmire movie could resolve some of the loose ends fans have debated endlessly since its conclusion in 2017. It's very plausible that it would have the success that movie spin-offs like Sopranos and Breaking Bad witnessed. Deadwood: The Movie was also a big draw for HBO audiences.
We know that Craig Johnson and Robert Taylor are pushing for a Longmire movie. Here's to some updates soon!