The Bonnie And Clyde Story From The Perspective Of The Texas Rangers

Director John Lee Hancock sees the new film “The Highwaymen” as a companion piece to other versions of this famous Texas story.

By Laura RiceMarch 27, 2019 9:30 am,

“‘The Highwaymen‘ is the true story of the Texas Rangers that came out of retirement in 1934, Frank Hamer and Maney Gault – played by Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson – to hunt down and kill Bonnie and Clyde,” director John Lee Hancock says.

Hancock describes Hamer as the most famous Texas Ranger of all time. He says the much of the film is centered on how Hamer adjusts to the ways law enforcement methods have changed since he hung up his hat.

“He had spent a lot of his time on horseback,” Hancock says. “So by 1934, when he’s in a Ford V8, it’s a very different type of chase that he’s on.”

The film also stars Kathy Bates as Texas Gov. Ma Ferguson – who distrusted the Texas Rangers.

Hancock says, as a Texan himself, he’s drawn to the state’s stories.

“People keep telling stories about Texas and they’ll never run out of stories and it’s kind of in the DNA of Texas to have the state pride, to talk about Texans as unique, and I just don’t think we’ll ever run out of stories,” Hancock says.

“The Highwaymen” is in some theaters in Texas. It will be available on Netflix on March 29.