Is this series revival a simple cash grab or a “Justified” reboot?
If you’ve been wanting to see a gritty modern Western hero on the small screen, you’ll be delighted to know that U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens is returning to television with Justified: City Primeval (2023). FX certainly has no shortage of gripping drama titles in its catalog, both with classic shows like The Shield and Sons of Anarchy as well as more recent hits like The Americans and Snowfall. All these beloved shows and more have earned FX more acclaim and Emmy nominations to last a lifetime, but one show, in particular, has stood the test of time as an all-time great television program. That series is Justified, a brilliant modern-day take on the western formula that sees a U.S. Marshal based in Miami, Florida go back to his home state Kentucky, so he can navigate a complicated web of crime and murder.
The fact that the series is six seasons long is a testament to just how popular the show is, and while the epic series finale is fondly remembered as one of the strongest episodes, fans of the series have long desired to see Raylan Givens get back in the saddle for more daring escapades. Well, FX is set to answer those prayers later this year with Justified: City Primeval, a sequel series to Justified that will see Marshal Givens travel to Detroit to take down a whole new kind of criminal. The series is still expected to draw from the source material of author Elmore Leonard‘s novels, with the new series taking explicit inspiration from City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit. To learn more about the sequel show’s release date, cast, trailer, and more, here is everything we know so far about Justified: City Primeval.
When and Where Is Justified: City Primeval Coming Out?
FX has finally revealed a release date for Justified: City Primeval, with the series set to premiere on the network on July 18, 2023. However, the show is set to have its world premiere behind closed doors at the 12th ATX Television Festival on Thursday, June 1, 2023. Just like the previous series, Justified: City Primeval will be making its network home on FX. It’s there that you’ll be able to see Marshall Givens’ next batch of criminal cases as early as possible when the series sets a premiere date. However, you’re in luck if you prefer to watch your detective show content on streaming rather than capable and don’t mind waiting an extra day.
Justified: City Primeval is expected to follow suit with FX and Hulu’s “one day later on streaming” release plan that they’ve exercised with every single one of their recent shows. That means Hulu subscribers will be able to watch new episodes of the series the day after they premiere on cable. In case you want to get caught up on U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens’ story so far, all six seasons of Justified are currently available to stream on Hulu as well at the following link:
Is There a Trailer for Justified: City Primeval?
On March 12, 2023, the Emmy-winning network released a brief sizzle reel of what’s coming to the platform over the course of the year. In addition to showing off fan favorites like What We Do in the Shadows and The Bear, the teaser also shows off new content like BBC’s period drama Great Expectations, the Kate Mara and Brian Tyree Henry starring Quantico thriller Class of ’09, and the Tupac Shakur docu-series Dear Mama. It’s during the trailer that we also get an extremely brief first look at Justified: City Primeval, with just a tease of U.S. Marshal Givens’ return and the introduction of the villainous Clement Mansell.
The first trailer for Justified: City Primeval followed soon after, arriving on May 15, 2023. It’s a less-than-a-minute-long teaser that focuses on the shift to Detroit, without giving away much of the plot. See it in the player below:
So What’s Justified: City Primeval About?
Justified: City Primeval is expected to stick pretty closely to the plot of Elmore Leonard’s novel. The plot synopsis for the original novel reads as follows, though Givens isn’t mentioned here as he isn’t part of the original novel:
Clement Mansell, knows how easy it is to get away with murder. The crazed killer is back on the Detroit streets — thanks to some nifty courtroom moves by his crafty looker of a lawyer — and he’s feeling invincible enough to execute a crooked Motown judge. Homicide Detective Raymond Cruz thinks the Oklahoma Wildman crossed the line long before this latest outrage, and he’s determined to see that the psycho does not slip through the legal system’s loopholes a second time. But that means a good cop is going to have to play somewhat fast and loose with the rules — in order to maneuver Mansell into a wild Midwest showdown that he won’t be walking away from.
Who’s In the Cast of Justified: City Primeval?
Ask any Justified fan, and they’ll tell you that only one person can play U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens, and that’s Timothy Olyphant. The three-time Emmy nominee played the beloved protagonist for all six seasons of Justified and is considered by fans of the books as a perfect choice for the complex lawman, so it’s great that he’ll be returning for Justified: City Primeval. Though his time with the show ended in 2015, Olyphant would put his skills as a western hero to good use in the Star Wars universe when he played Marshall Cobb Vanth in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett.
Acting opposite Olyphant in the antagonist role is Boyd Holbrook, who will be playing the notorious “Oklahoma Wildman” who goes toe to toe with the Marshall. Holbrook also has plenty of experience playing villains in pseudo-westerns, such as when he played the leader of the mutant-hunting Reavers in Logan. The rest of the cast is rounded out by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (King Richard), Alexander Pobutsky (The Blacklist), Yosef Kasnetzkov (FBI), Estavion White (The Coleman Show), Marin Ireland (Hell or High Water), Adelaide Clemens (The Great Gatsby), Amin Joseph (Snowfall), and Vondie Curtis-Hall (Daredevil).
Who Is Making Justified: City Primeval?
Many crew members of the original Justified will be returning to bring their talents to the table, including two of the directors, Jon Avnet (Fried Green Tomatoes) and Michael Dinner (Mayans M.C.). Dinner will also be a part of the impressive writers’ room for the show, which also includes Dave Andron (Snowfall), VJ Boyd (S.W.A.T.), Eisa Davis (She’s Gotta Have It), Taylor Elmore (Limitless), Chris Provenzano (Guilty Party), and Cole Quirk (Edge of Internment). Timothy Olyphant will also be producing the series in addition to starring. Dave Andron and Michael Dinner are the showrunners of Justified: City Primeval.
Fun fact: the idea for the series revival reportedly came about after a conversation that Olyphant had with Quentin Tarantino. At one point, Tarantino was expected to direct an episode of the new series but has since dropped out of the project.
Other major crew members include cinematographer Jeffrey Greeley (Castle Rock), editors Hunter M. Via (The Mist) and Marta Evry (Lovecraft Country), and production designer Marke Dobrowolski (The Walking Dead).
