Kevin Costner is back in the saddle. The Oscar-winning actor, 57, will star in the three part television series 'Hatfields and MCCoys' on The History Channel, which premieres on Monday (May 28, 2012). It's been nine years since the actor's last western project 'Open Range', with Robert Duvall.
Costner play Devil Anse Hatfield in the series, which recounts the true story of one of America's most famous 19th century feuds, between the Hatfield and MCCoy families. Set after the Civil War, in the backwoods where West Virginia meets Kentucky, the bloody skirmish began over timber rights, a pig, and a pair of star-crossed lovers. Anticipation for the series is high, and it could represent a comeback of sorts for Costner, whose last six movies have performed poorly at the box-office. Speaking to Reuters, the Hollywood star explained, "I am a really writer-oriented actor ... Just because I liked the idea of the history of the Hatfields and the MCCoys, I wouldn't necessarily have done it on that basis. It's not enough me just liking American history, or the story, or the people".
The feud between the Hatfields and MCCoys only officially ended in 2003, when the descendants of both clans signed a symbolic truce. Costner became so immersed in the story that it inspired him to write an album about the families for his country rock band 'Modern West'.