Timothy Olyphant to Return as Raylan Givens in FX Limited Series ‘Justified: City Primeval’
‘Justified’ fans are getting another ride along with U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, as Timothy Olyphant has signed on to star in “Justified: City Primeval,” a new limited series continuing where the acclaimed FX show left off in 2015.
Loosely based on Elmore Leonard’s 1980 novel “City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit,” “Justified: City Primeval” picks up eight years after Marshal Givens left Kentucky for Miami to be closer to his daughter. But not for long.
Per the official description: “His hair is grayer, his hat is dirtier, and the road in front of him is suddenly a lot shorter than the road behind. A chance encounter on a desolate Florida highway sends him to Detroit. There he crosses paths with Clement Mansell, aka The Oklahoma Wildman, a violent, sociopathic desperado who’s already slipped through the fingers of Detroit’s finest once and aims to do so again. Mansell’s lawyer, formidable Motor City native Carolyn Wilder, has every intention of representing her client, even as she finds herself caught in between cop and criminal, with her own game afoot as well. These three characters set out on a collision course in classic Elmore Leonard fashion, to see who makes it out of the City Primeval alive.”
Written by “Justified” executive producers Dave Andron and Michael Dinner, who serve as co-showrunners, “Justified: City Primeval” is also executive produced by Olyphant, “Justified” creator Graham Yost, Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly, along with Peter Leonard, and writers Taylor Elmore and Chris Provenzano. Novelist Walter Mosely serves as a consulting producer. V.J. Boyd, Eisa Davis and Ingrid Escajeda will also write.
“Justified was one of the most critically acclaimed shows of the past decade and an adaption of Elmore Leonard’s work that was so colorfully brought to life by Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens, Graham Yost and the entire team of producers, writers, directors and cast,” FX Entertainment president Eric Schrier said in a statement. “To have this group come together again with Tim as Raylan in a new and different Elmore Leonard story is thrilling. I want to thank our showrunners Dave and Michael, and their fellow executive producers Tim, Graham, Sarah and Carl, the Elmore Leonard estate as well as our partners at Sony Pictures Television, for making this possible.”
“When Justified concluded, the love and affection for this exceptional series only grew and left audiences craving more Raylan Givens. The iconic Elmore Leonard was one of the premier authors of our time and no one has quite captured his tone and authenticity as well as this Justified team,” Sony Pictures Television Studios President Jeff Frost and Co-President Jason Clodfelter said. “We look forward to experiencing the magic again of Tim, Graham, Dave, Michael and our preeminent executive producer team. We are so thrilled to be continuing this remarkable ride with our partners at FX.”
News of this project’s development first broke in March of 2021, but “Justified: City Primeval” is now officially moving forward.
Based on Elmore Leonard’s novella “Fire in the Hole,” “Justified” ran for six seasons from 2010-2015 and won two Emmys.
“Justified: City Primeval” is produced by Sony Pictures Television and FX Productions.
