Anyone who thinks Kevin Bacon doesn’t have a bit of vampire blood in him needs to see this ageless Hollywood icon in action in Prime Video’s new comedy horror series The Bondsman.
Looking as fit and fine as ever, Bacon plays Hub Halloran, a rugged bounty hunter for the family business who knocks on the wrong door one night and dies in the dirt parking lot of some cheap Appalachian motel. But the Devil has other plans for this fallen mortal and he returns to life with the ability to see rogue demons who’ve escaped from Hell’s prison.
Now Hub’s got a new gig working for the King of Hades ensnaring AWOL entities of the underworld as he learns what unforgivable sins of his own attracted Lucifer’s laser-like attention in the first place.
What we wanted to do was to create a scream out loud, laugh out loud mashup of family dramedy with Appalachian lore with demon hunting and music.
Erik Oleson, executive producer on The Bondsman
It’s a rollicking (and occasionally gory) road filled with an abundance of laughs, dismembered body parts, a cool blues soundtrack, Bacon’s sharp comedic timing, and a fully invested cast that delivers a polished supernatural romp. Think Keanu Reeves’ Constantine and Bruce Campbell’s Ash vs. the Evil Dead with a dash of Brimstone and Dog the Bounty Hunter.
And it’s this playful blend of genres and deadpan attitude that make this new series from veteran producer Erik Oleson (Carnival Row, Marvel’’s Daredevil) and creator Grainger David not only special, but in the running to be one of the best Prime Video shows.
“I think what makes the show unique and original is the genre mashup that we do,” executive producer Oleson tells TechRadar. “You’ve not seen this kind of combination of genres ever.
“Yes of course, there are all kinds of demon shows and movies and we love it. That’s almost a genre unto itself. What we wanted to do was to create a scream out loud, laugh out loud mashup of family dramedy with Appalachian lore with demon hunting and music. And by the way, there’s going to be Kevin Bacon driving chainsaws through demons’ foreheads. That was the fun of it.”
It’s almost inconceivable that Bacon has been acting for nearly 50 years, with memorable feature film appearances in National Lampoon’s Animal House, Footloose, She’s Having a Baby, Tremors, Flatliners, Apollo 13, Stir of Echoes, The Hollow Man, Mystic River, and dozens more. The tough sardonic character he’s portraying here in The Bondsman seems tailor made.
“I think he’s Dorian Gray,” Oleson jokes. “He might have actually sold his soul. Kevin is attracted to characters that have different contradictions and dimensions, as the Hub Halloran character does. Here’s a guy who’s trying to make things right with his family but he’s also stuck in the mud, and he’s got a chip on his shoulder.
“It allows Kevin to play different tones that Mr. Bacon is capable of doing. We all know that Kevin is comedy, like Animal House, then Mystic River, some of the darkest drama you’ll ever see, and everything in between. Working with the greatest filmmakers of the last two generations! So Kevin is a terrific partner for a showrunner as you’re building a show from scratch. We were in constant communication about how to dial in the tone.
“Through the process Kevin would do takes where some were more comedic and some were more dramatic. He’d make different choices in scenes so that in the edit room we’d have the option. He’s not just a great actor, he’s also a very smart producer.
“Offscreen he’s just a professional and shows up prepared and sets that example for the cast and crew. It was a really professional, family kind of set, which is the kind of thing that as a showrunner I try to build. Everybody ended up friends at the end of it, and Kevin was instrumental in all of that.”
Kevin Bacon goes to Hell and Back
Music is a massive element of The Bondsman’s witty tone and gothic sensibility, even to the point of inserting original music unexpectedly composed by the cast.
“Music is the cornerstone of the show, and the juxtaposition of demonic fights with this music that would not normally be in a demonic fight was something that made us all laugh and happy,” Oleson adds.
“Kevin Bacon and co-star Jennifer Nettles wrote original music and we put it into the series. They actually cut an EP, in character, that releases the day after the show drops. It was a pinch myself moment to know that I had Kevin Bacon and Grammy Award-winning Jennifer Nettles saying, ‘hey Eric, we wrote this song over the weekend. I don’t know if you want to use it on the show.’
“So that’s the other aspect I think will really make it fun for audiences to watch.”
From Blumhouse Television and Amazon MGM Studios, The Bondsman’s eight-episode debut season premieres on April 3, 2025.
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