Justified: City Primeval, a revival of the acclaimed neo-Western series Justified, is coming soon, revitalizing the franchise as a whole. The new show will continue the story of U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (played by Timothy Olyphant), the tough-on-crime officer who spent the original series dishing out justice in the Appalachian Mountains in the original series. Although Justified: City Primeval is still in development, a lot of details are already known about the highly-anticipated revival, including the cast, story, and more.
The original Justified ran for six seasons from 2010-2015, telling the story of a deputy with Wild West sensibilities as he is moved to eastern Kentucky after a justified killing of a mobster in Miami. As Deputy Raylan Givens comes to find out, Harlan County, the place where Givens grew up, is under his jurisdiction, complicating his new position with the Eastern District of Kentucky Marshal's Office even more. The original Justified was met with critical acclaim, causing many viewers to eagerly await the revival. So, here's everything there is to know about Justified: City Primeval.
Justified: City Primeval Cast: Who's New & Who's Returning
Surprisingly, there is only one actor from the original Justified set to reprise their role in the Justified: City Primeval cast - Timothy Olyphant. This makes sense, considering that Givens left Kentucky at the end of Justified and moved back to Miami. With Justified: City Primeval mostly taking place in Miami and Detroit, it is doubtful that any of the residents of eastern Kentucky will reappear in the revival. Another character that is returning is Raylan's daughter, Willa Givens, although she will be recast for the revival. This time, she will be played by Olyphant's real-life daughter, Vivian Olyphant, hinting that her role may be even more significant.
Although not many characters are returning, there are plenty of newcomers to Justified: City Primeval. Boyd Holbrook will play the show's villain Clement Mansel (aka The Oklahoma Wildman), while Aunjanue Ellis will play Mansel's lawyer, Carolyn Wilder. Adelaide Clemens will also play Sandy, Mansel's girlfriend. The show has also cast Vondie Curtis-Hall as Sweety, Marin Ireland as Maureen, Norbert Leo Butz as Norbert, Victor Williams as Wendell, and Ravi Patel as Rick Newley. While popular characters like Walton Goggin's Boyd Crowder aren't returning, this new cast is full of talent.
Where Justified: City Primeval Takes Place
While the original Justified takes place in eastern Kentucky, Justified: City Primeval will take place in an entirely new location. The revival will mostly take place in Detroit, helping out the local police on a dangerous manhunt. However, the series will most likely feature other locations, including Miami, which is where Raylan Givens ended up at the end of the original series.
Justified: City Primeval Story: What Is The Revival About?
Much like the original Justified, which is based on one of author's Elmore Leonard's novels, Justified: City Primeval is based on Leonard's book City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit. Although Deputy Givens wasn't in the original novel, the book paints a pretty clear picture of what the new series will be about. The series will follow Givens traveling to Detroit to help the Detroit police track down the Justified: Primeval City villain, who is named The Oklahoma Wildman: an unhinged serial killer who gets put on the map after executing a judge.
Is Quentin Tarantino Directing Justified: City Primeval?
There have been rumors circling that director Quentin Tarantino will direct episodes of Justified: City Primeval, as the acclaimed filmmaker was essential to getting the revival made. Tarantino has toyed with adapting City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit into a film previously, and apparently the idea to use it for the Justified revival came up in a conversation between Tarantino and Olyphant. While it would be nice for Quentin Tarantino to direct Justified: City Primeval, it seems unlikely, as the director has talked about directing different projects before dropping them many times before.
How Many Episodes Justified: City Primeval Has
Unlike the original Justified, the Justified: City Primeval show is set to be a limited series consisting of only one season. The season will consist of eight episodes, although it's always possible that the series could be continued if popular enough. Considering that Justified: City Primeval will be sticking to the story of a single book, though, it seems unlikely that anything beyond the initial eight episodes will get made.
Justified: City Primeval Release Date Prediction
Considering that the full slate of directors still hasn't been announced, with Quentin Tarantino's Justified: City Primeval connection still being up in the air, it will probably be a little while before the series arrives. Although the series is already filming, the production has been shut down twice due to two on-set accidents, although no one was injured. Considering that it's already filming, and that TV shows like Justified can be produced fairly quickly, it seems like the Justified: City Primeval release date will land sometime between summer and fall 2023, as this would be soon enough to allow the show to capitalize on the interest built for it thus far without production being rushed.
