A Western series led by women is coming to Netflix, based on the comic book The Hated. It has been described as “equal parts spaghetti western and revenge saga.” It’s set in a world in which the American Civil War ended differently, with the country being split in two.
The series, which we believe will be live-action, focuses on the character of Araminta Free, a bounty hunter. She specialises in crossing the border into the confederacy and liberating slaves.
Showrunner Michael Starrbury recently signed a multi-year deal to develop programming for Netflix. He was a writer on When They See Us and is scripting comedy The Come Up directed by Matthew Cherry.
The Hated comic book is written by David F. Walker, who co-created the DC character Naomi McDuffie. A television adaptation of the McDuffie series is soon coming to the CW, produced by Ava DuVernay.
There has been something of resurgence in the Western genre in recent years, with Tom Hanks’ News of the World, The Coens’ The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, The Harder They Fall and The Power of the Dog – most, if not all, can be found on Netflix.
The synopsis for The Hated, on the comic book’s Kickstarter page, reads; “It is 1872, and the war between the North and South is over. Neither side won. After years of bloody conflict, both sides entered into a truce, resulting in the formation of two nations, the Union States of America, where blacks are free, and the Confederate States of America, where blacks are still enslaved.”
“Araminta Free is a former slave turned bounty hunter. She specializes in crossing the border into the Confederacy, and liberating slaves. She also tracks down Confederate war criminals, which has made her a woman with a price on her head in the southern nation. When a group of Confederate Raiders illegally ventures deep into the Union to kidnap free blacks and sell them into slavery, the stage is set for a deadly showdown between Araminta and the men who want her dead.”
“Imagine if director Sergio Corbucci (DJANGO, THE GREAT SILENCE) made a western starring Pam Grier as a badass, gun-slinging bounty hunter. Now imagine the story takes place in a world where the Civil War ended differently – instead of a victory for the North, there is a truce, and what had been one country is now two. This is THE HATED.”
It will be while until we see The Hated on Netflix, so while we wait, check out our guide the best Netflix series.