The Wild West has been a big part of popular culture for a long time, but you may have noticed it becoming more prominent in recent months. It may be due to the success of Killers in the Flower Moon, which was nominated for ten Academy Awards, or it might just be another return to popularity for a timeless theme, but what are the key signs that it’s back in vogue this year?
Slingo and Other Games
The Wild West has always been a rich source of inspiration for games, from card games like poker to board games and other ways of playing. Ticket to Ride: Legends of the West by Days of Wonder is a recent addition to the board game genre, giving players the chance to travel across the US in the 19th century and complete a series of challenges along the way.
This setting is also used in Slingo games, which offer a mixture of bingo and slots gameplay. Slingo Money Train is based on a popular slot of the same name and sees players attempt to enter the bonus round. This is done by completing winning lines to gain access to the bonus wheel. If successful on the wheel, players then look for Western characters who give or collect bonuses while shooting at the screen.
The Wild West Meets Fashion
Wild West fashion has never been as prominent as other aspects of this period in American history. Yet, Jacqueline West has been nominated at the 96th Academy Awards in the best costume design category, for her work on Killers of the Flowers Moon. This could mean that the fashion trends from the past could make a comeback.
We’ve already seen some evidence that this could be the case, with Louis Vuitton closing the first day of this year’s Paris Fashion Week with a variety of Western-themed clothing. Fringed jackets and cowboy boots were on show, while native American hand-crafted embroidery and painting added some authentic touches from this culture.
Look for More Wild West Themes and Movies
Another sign of what to expect comes with the news that one of the big SuperBowl ads this year is going to feature a Wild West theme. CrowdStrike has created a frontier vibe for their 30-second spot during the biggest sporting event of the year for American football fans, with malware and viruses represented by outlaws running wild in a cowboy-filled town.
Horizon: An American Saga is set to bring two chapters of Western life to our screens in 2024. This Kevin Costner-led epic movie will eventually cover four chapters in total and is set in the period before and after the American Civil War. We should also see the release of The Pinkerton, Eddington, and The Thicket, which will all show different aspects of life in the frontier period.
While the Wild West has never truly fallen out of favour among the public, it’s been easy to spot the recent resurgence in popularity that it’s enjoyed. All the signs point towards us getting more ways to feel the frontier atmosphere this year.