Olyphant Open To More “Justified”

The upcoming “Justified: City Primeval” isn’t being sold as a series revival or a spin-off of FX’s “Justified” so much as “an extension of the universe”, according to actress Adelaide Clemens who hit her PR notes perfectly at the show’s Television Critics Association panel on Thursday.

The limited series sees Timothy Olyphant reprising his famed role of U.S. Marshal Raylan in the series which shifts from the setting from Kentucky to Detroit eight years later as Raylan is balancing life as a marshal and part-time father of 14-year-old Willa (Vivian Olyphant).

A chance encounter on a Florida highway sends him to Detroit, where he crosses paths with violent sociopath Clement Mansell (Boyd Holbrook), aka The Oklahoma Wildman, who has successfully evaded authorities.

The original “Justified” ran from 2010-2015 and became one of the most acclaimed shows on television at the time. Much of the same team is back for the revival, and Olyphant was asked what his biggest concern going into this follow-up was:

“My biggest concern was that I’d only make a pile of money [laughs]. I didn’t have any concerns. I love these guys. I thought as long as we were still in the Elmore Leonard world and the Graham Yost world that the two of them created, I just thought I’d be there for it.”

Could Olyphant continue on in the role beyond this? Olyphant says: “I would show up”. Executive producer Sarah Timberman was also on hand to describe the new show, saying:

“It’s an extension of the show in a storytelling mode, even if it’s Detroit. I feel like a hallmark of the original show is that you’d spin out into Margot Martindale and Kaitlyn Dever’s world and live there and leave our regulars. I think this show repeats what Justified did so well, which is creating these really detailed universes, people who aren’t good guys or bad guys, but grey guys.”

Olyphant was asked about the July shooting on set in which he is rumored to have shielded a production assistant. Olyphant responded: “Not true – I shielded numerous people [laughs]. In terms of shooting in Chicago – I love that town. Apparently, a hundred rounds or so is not enough to fall out of love with Chicago.”

“Justified: City Primeval” hasn’t set an air date as yet.

Source: Deadline