If you can’t get Taylor Sheridan, just make your own show and bring in people that have starred in Taylor Sheridan shows.
That’s got to be the next best thing, right? And though there’s no indication that the Yellowstone creator thought this one up or expressed interest in producing, the new show from Balboa Productions, American Outlaw Entertainment, and MGM Television sounds like something that would fit well within Sheridan’s wheelhouse.
Sylvester Stallone and Cole Hauser (and their respective production companies) are teaming up to turn a popular book into a television series. The show is set to be called “Blood Aces,” and it will be based upon the 2014 book Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, The Texas Gangster Who Created Vegas Poker, which was written by Douglas J. Swanson.
The book, which tells the story of Benny Binion, is described as the following:
“From a Texas backwater, Binion rose to prominence on a combination of vision, determination, and brutal expediency. His formula was simple: run a good business, cultivate the big boys, kill your enemies, and own the cops. Through a mix of cold-bloodedness, native intelligence, folksiness and philanthropy, Binion became one of the most revered figures in the history of gambling, and his showmanship, shrewdness and violence would come to dominate the Vegas scene.
Veteran journalist Doug Swanson uses once-secret government documents and dogged reporting to show how Binion destroyed his rivals and outsmarted his adversaries, playing a crucial role in the shaping of modern Las Vegas.”
Sounds to me like that will adapt to television rather easily.
Especially since Cole Hauser is set to play the main character: Benny Binion. The actor who played Rip Wheeler in Yellowstone (and will reprise that very role in the upcoming Dutton Ranch) has a history of bringing gritty characters to life, and it sounds like he’s thrilled to be able to step into the shoes of a Texas gangster based upon what he told Deadline:
“Benny Binion is one of the great Western American characters and success stories of the 20th century, loaded with ambition, vision, balls, and like all controversial characters, many flaws. His legacy is undeniable.
How he built it is an incredible story which we can’t wait to tell. It’s a privilege to play him and an honor to produce this with Sylvester Stallone and MGM to bring this incredible story to life.”
Sylvester Stallone, who Taylor Sheridan fans know very well from Tulsa King, is also looking forward to telling this story that was originally penned by Douglas J. Swanson. From how he describes it, the series will act as a bit of an origin story for Las Vegas and bringing poker to “Sin City.”
Oh, and Stallone can’t wait to see Cole Hauser step into the leading role:
“Douglas J. Swanson’s book captures the incredible life of Benny Binion, a New West icon who was a conduit connecting many worlds, some glamorous, some dangerous, some shady, but all intriguing, while helping to build the foundation for both Las Vegas as we know it and the explosive worldwide popularity of poker.
This is a story that will captivate audiences, and it’s a role made for Cole Hauser to play. I am proud and excited to partner with Cole to bring this story to life.”
As of right now, Stallone is just producing the series and won’t be starring in it alongside Hauser. However… how could Stallone not star in a show called Blood Aces? Feels like the perfect fit for the legendary actor, and it wouldn’t be the first time he played a role in a series produced by his production company (Balboa Productions) since he’s currently starring in Tulsa King.
