Kevin Bacon's New Series Based On Award-Winning Comic Series Officially Adds Stranger Things Star

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Holly and Karen in Stranger Things season 5

Published May 1, 2026, 5:04 PM EDT

Jeff Dodge (he/him), a published author and graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena. Fun Fact: he’s been to every single Idol Live! Tour.

One of the stars of Stranger Things has joined the cast of Kevin Bacon's upcoming Hulu series Southern Bastards.

Buono and Bacon's co-stars are Erin Kellyman, Tim McGraw, Jonathan Tucker, Amin Joseph, Ethan Suplee, Derek Luke, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor.

As of right now, Hulu has only ordered a pilot for Southern Bastards, which centers on a military veteran who wants to find her estranged father. However, along the way, she discovers an organized crime ring being led by a very successful high school football coach.

The series is adapting Jason Aaron and Jason Latour's graphic novels, which debuted in 2014 and have won multiple comic book awards.

Chicago PD co-creator Matt Olmstead is the showrunner of the TV adaptation. He's also an executive producer alongside Aaron, Latour, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Layne Eskridge, Ryan Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Zinzi Coogler, Simone Harris, Kate Berry, Hannah Baker and D'Angelo Louis. Green is directing the pilot, with Bill Dubuque writing the script.

Even though Bacon is best known for films like Footloose, he's also appeared on several TV shows, including The Following, City on a Hill, The Bondsman and Sirens. Now he's returning to the small screen in Southern Bastards.

His co-star Buono just ended her five-season run on the hugely popular sci-fi series Stranger Things, where she played Mike, Nancy and Holly's mother. Before that, the actress had starred in Paper Towns, Third Watch, The Sopranos, Mad Men (which earned her an Emmy nomination), Person of Interest, Supergirl and The Girl from Plainville.

McGraw recently joined the cast of Southern Bastards, which will see the country music singer playing the football coach who's running a criminal organization.

While he's known for singing hit songs like "Live Like You Were Dying" and "Just to See You Smile," he also has a long history of acting. One of McGraw's first roles on the big screen was in the 2004 movie Friday Night Lights before appearing in The Blind Side, Tomorrowland, The Shack and other films.

On the small screen, when he's not performing at country music award shows, McGraw has played James Dutton on Taylor Sheridan's hit Western Yellowstone and spinoff 1883. Last year, he had a voice role on Prime Video's animated series The Mighty Nein.

Now Bacon, McGraw, Buono (in her first post-Stranger Things role) and several other actors are coming together for Hulu's pilot adaptation of Southern Bastards. Since the show is only at the pilot stage right now, there's no guarantee that it will be greenlit as a series.