Duster (TV series)

Duster
GenreCrime thriller
Created by
ShowrunnerLaToya Morgan[1]
Starring
Music byLaura Karpman
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
  • Steph Green
  • Rachel Rusch Rich
  • LaToya Morgan
  • J. J. Abrams
Producers
  • Andrew Balek
  • Lucas Brown Eyes
CinematographyCarmen Cabana
Running time52 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkMax
ReleaseMay 15 (2025-05-15) –
July 3, 2025 (2025-07-03)

Duster is an American crime thriller series created by J. J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan and starring Josh Holloway, Rachel Hilson, and Keith David. The show is set in 1972; Hilson portrays the FBI's first Black woman agent and Holloway plays a getaway driver using a 1970 Plymouth Duster. Duster premiered on Max on May 15, 2025. In July 2025, the series was canceled after one season.

Premise

In the Southwest in 1972, the FBI's first Black woman agent (Rachel Hilson) works to stop a crime syndicate boss (Keith David) with the assistance of a talented getaway driver (Josh Holloway).[2]

Cast

Main

Recurring

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date [1]
1"Baltimore Changes Everything"Steph GreenJ. J. Abrams & LaToya MorganMay 15, 2025 (2025-05-15)
2"Suspicious Minds"Steph GreenLaToya Morgan & J. J. AbramsMay 22, 2025 (2025-05-22)
3"You're No Good"Darren GrantJ. J. Abrams & LaToya MorganMay 29, 2025 (2025-05-29)
4"Criminalus Velocitus Super-Sonicus"Darren GrantSue ChungJune 5, 2025 (2025-06-05)
5"Ravishing Light and Glory"Steph GreenLucas Brown EyesJune 12, 2025 (2025-06-12)
6"Meet by the Clothes"Steph GreenMatt LambertJune 19, 2025 (2025-06-19)
7"K-129"Darren GrantMichael HorowitzJune 26, 2025 (2025-06-26)
8"66 Reno Split"Darren GrantLaToya MorganJuly 3, 2025 (2025-07-03)

Production

The series was given a straight to series green-light at HBO Max in April 2020, as part of J. J. Abrams' overall deal at WarnerMedia. The series was co-created and co-written by Abrams and LaToya Morgan.[3] The series has eight episodes, the first three written by the creators.[4] Steph Green is also an executive producer, and she directed the first two episodes.[2]

In March 2021, Josh Holloway was cast to star in the pilot,[5] with filming beginning in October 2021 in Tucson.[6][7] In February 2023, the series was officially given a series order, with Rachel Hilson announced as a co-lead.[8] Corbin Bernsen was announced in a recurring role the following month.[9]

Production for the full series began in April 2023 in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the surrounding areas.[10][11][7] In May, it was suspended due to the 2023 WGA strike.[12] Before the strike, the pilot was shot in downtown Tucson, Arizona, and parts of Pima County from September through mid-November 2021.[13]

On July 9, 2025, Max canceled the series after one season.[14]

Cars

Ted Moser served as the picture car coordinator for Duster and procured over 250 vehicles for the show.[7] Four separate cars were sourced for the titular 1970 Plymouth Duster 340[15] driven by Holloway's character Jim — one "hero car" for filming only, detailed enough for close-ups, and three other stunt cars modified for camera equipment and retrofitted with automatic transmissions.[7] Holloway took a stunt driving class in preparation for the role and filmed many of his own driving scenes; stunt driver Corey Eubanks performed the rest. Hilson's character Nina drives a 1966 Plymouth Belvedere.[15] One scene featuring several BMWs was originally written with Audis in mind.[7]

Release

A teaser trailer was released on March 19, 2025.[2] The official trailer was released on April 30, 2025. [16] Duster premiered on Max on May 15, 2025, with successive episodes released weekly thereafter.[2]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 92% based on reviews from 35 critics. The website's critical consensus reads, "Making great use of Josh Holloway's rugged charm and a retro aesthetic that recalls 1970s television, Duster slaps a fresh coat of paint on a vintage vehicle."[17] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, gave it a score of 72 out of 100, based on reviews from 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[18]

References

  1. ^ a b "Max Original Drama Series DUSTER, From Emmy-Award Winner J.J. Abrams And Showrunner LaToya Morgan, Debuts May 15" (Press release). March 19, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d Petski, Denise (March 19, 2025). "'Duster': J.J. Abrams & LaToya Morgan's Drama Series Gets Max Premiere Date & First-Look Teaser". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  3. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (April 16, 2020). "HBO Max Orders 'The Shining' Offshoot 'Overlook', J.J. Abrams' 'Duster' & Justice League Dark Series From Bad Robot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  4. ^ Mathai, Jeremy (March 19, 2025). "The Duster Trailer Finally Returns JJ Abrams To TV – And Reunites Him With A Lost Star". SlashFilm. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  5. ^ Otterson, Joe (March 9, 2021). "Josh Holloway to Star in HBO Max Series 'Duster' From LaToya Morgan, J.J. Abrams". Variety. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  6. ^ Parris, Pat (October 6, 2021). "HBO Max Series Duster could bring $65 million economic boost to Tucson". KGUN-TV. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d e Soloski, Alexis (May 13, 2025). "In 'Duster,' the Cars Are in the Driver's Seat". Television. The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 31, 2025. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  8. ^ White, Peter (February 16, 2023). "Rachel Hilson To Star In J.J. Abrams & LaToya Morgan's Duster As HBO Max Hands Out Official Series Order". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  9. ^ Petski, Denise (March 30, 2023). "Corbin Bernsen Set To Recur In J.J. Abrams' HBO Max Series Duster". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  10. ^ "The New Mexico Film Office Announces Max/Warner Bros. Television Series Duster is Currently in Production in New Mexico" (PDF). Film New Mexico. April 28, 2023.
  11. ^ Rajput, Priyanca (May 4, 2023). "JJ Abrams' crime thriller series Duster filming in New Mexico for HBO Max". KFTV.com.
  12. ^ White, Peter (May 22, 2023). "Max's 'Duster', From J.J. Abrams & LaToya Morgan, Suspends Production In New Mexico". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  13. ^ Savic, Bryan (December 14, 2021). "Why was HBO Max's 'Duster' pilot shot in Tucson?". Arizona Daily Wildcat. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  14. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (July 9, 2025). "Duster Canceled By HBO Max After One Season". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  15. ^ a b Vaughn, Mark (May 16, 2025). ""Duster" Is An 8-Episode '70s Crime Drama Starring A Plymouth 340". Autoweek. Archived from the original on May 16, 2025. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  16. ^ [1]
  17. ^ "Duster: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  18. ^ "Duster: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
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