Summary
Maxhas released the official teaser for a television series starring Josh Holloway that’s been in the works for nearly five years now. J.J. Abrams' first co-writing credit in six years,Duster,features Josh Halloway as a 70’s getaway driver in America’s Southwest. The show has battled a gauntlet of obstacles leading to its recent debut, as its pilot was filmed in 2021 following an April 2020 announcement.
Dusteris still relatively mysterious at this point, with little detail available about its conception. But, it seems to be based on some cool old school vigilante caper flicks and TV shows. The trailer promises a stylish, fast-paced romp complete with gunfights and car chases over a slick soundtrack.
A Surprisingly Cool Sneak Peek At J.J. Abrams' Duster
Dustercenters around a getaway driver for a Southwestern crime syndicate that’s on the riseand headed by Keith David.Eventually, he’s joined by a green associate, played by Rachel Hilson, who turns out to be a government agent. She’s not just any agent either, as she happens to be the first Black female FBI agent. It’s unclear how deeply the series will dig into that aspect.
The punchy new trailer is action-packed, with Holloway remindingLostfans that he has a leading man’s charisma against a funky musical backdrop. There is a bit of information available regarding the show’s origins.
Considering the assortment of elements at play in the trailer, it’s interesting to learn how simple an idea it all stemmed from. In Abrams' recent interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, he revealed the initial thought behind the show was a vision he had of a driver finding a payphone in the desert and asking it where he should go next. That’s it.
Duster’s co-creator, LaToya Morgan wrote a handful of episodes forThe Walking DeadandInto The Badlands.She provided more perspective on the show’s inspiration in a statement,saying she couldn’t have asked for a better partner than Abrams.
Abrams said he’d gotten hold of some of Morgan’s scripts and called her to help him work it out, almost like the driver in his vision racing toward a phone to figure out his next move. He said he knew an FBI agent would show up, but the story didn’t really develop until they started to flesh out who that agent was, which presented opportunities for twists and turns.
Morgan said the payphone lent itself to telling stories about a bygone era,which presumably birthed the 70’s concept. She added there was “fun in the obsolescence of things.” Morgan said she loves CB radios and car chases and car culture, so it’s a safe assumption that the 70s sports car and culture will play a central role in the series alongside Hilson and Holloway.
“Dusteris an amalgam of all my favorite things — high-octane storytelling with deep characters and so much heart,” Morgan said. “It’s a dream project, and I’m supremely grateful to all the folks at Warner Bros. and HBO Max for believing in this show.“These sentiments help color Abrams’who described the world ofDusteras “wild, wily, and wacky.”
HBO’s Head of original content Sarah Aubrey said she shares Abrams and Morgan’s excitement, adding the show has all the elements of a great Max Original with “propulsive storytelling” and “badass car chases.”
Duster’s Homages: Tarantino, Miami Vice, & Blaxploitation
Abrams referenced one of his own projects in citing spiritual analogs for the show. He says when he createdAlias,he had to contend with network heads who pushed back on the show’s episodic cliffhangers, which hurt syndication. He said there was no such issue producing that level of intrigue forDuster.
The show seems to be an homage to many influences, though those sources haven’t yet been established by Abrams. Not many recent shows have chosen to set their backdrop to 70s Western America and feature car chases and gunfights, but one film in particular might come to mind when viewing the trailer. The show’s scenery and color palette are reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino’sOnce Upon A Time In Hollywood, thoughthe touch, scale, and panache of a master filmmaker’s opusare, of course, not.
The show also looks to be cut from the same cloth as classic crime shows such asKnight RiderandMiami Vice. Dusterseems to take the sleekness of those 80s shows and transpose them into the 70s. Meanwhile, the soundtrack, quick cuts, and snappy, on-the-nose dialogue are evocative of 70s blaxploitation films likeCoffy(1973) andFoxy Brown(1974). Both films star Pam Grier as a straight-shooting bodacious vigilante.Duster’s introduction of the first Black FBI agent seems to be both a nod to and progression of the groundwork laid by those stylish earlier works.
When Will Duster Air?
Dusterwas ordered as one of three projects from Abrams' production house Bad Robot in 2020 after inking a partnership with HBO’s parent company Warner Media in 2019. HBO ordered the full series in 2023, but production was derailed by that year’s writers' strike. The show is finally ready to air streaming in May 2025 on Max.
