Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan has delivered on the first part of his five-year / US$150 million ViacomCBS deal (the first part outside of the Dutton family mythology, that is) with another crime drama series: The Mayor of Kingstown. Reuniting with the Academy Award-nominated Jeremy Renner – who led Sheridan’s directorial debut, Wind River – as well as Aidan Gillen – who appeared in Sheridan’s Those Who Wish Me Dead – more must-watch TV is on the horizon for audiences around the world.
Mayor of Kingstown follows the McLusky family – brothers Mike (Jeremy Renner), Mitch (Kyle Chandler), Kyle (Taylor Handley), and matriarch Miriam (Dianne Wiest). Similar to the Duttons, this clan serves as the power brokers of the eponymous Michigan town, “where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry.” Tackling themes of systemic racism, corruption, and inequality, the series will depict the McLusky family’s attempt to bring order and justice to a place with neither. As perfectly summarised by Renner’s Mike:
“The food chain here… there’s a lot of wolves and only a few rabbits.”
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“I’m excited to dig into the complex and rough-around-the-edges character of Mike McLusky,” says Jeremy Renner.
“In a world otherwise forgotten in society, Mike serves as a flawed system of checks and balances. Taylor Sheridan has brought to life a layered and poignant universe that is not only incredibly intriguing but also more relevant than ever.”
“I like exploring and even supporting that idea of [the McLusky family] having a moral compass. Not all actions are perfect, right? We’re all flawed. But, if it still comes from a strong base that’s unflappable, there’s something beautiful about that. Mike possesses those things.”
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“When Taylor told me about Mayor of Kingstown, I immediately wanted to be a part of it,” says executive producer Antoine Fuqua (director of Training Day, The Equalizer).
“The series offers a comprehensive look into the brutal prison system where sociopolitical issues run rampant. Prisons are a forgotten world to most of the population and yet represent a microcosm of society as a whole.”
Currently, it’s uncertain whether Taylor Sheridan’s 10-episode affair will have any direct ties to Yellowstone in regards to story; although the marketing does appear to package the properties together into what has been dubbed the Yellowstone universe, along with the latter’s upcoming prequel Y: 1883, and Sheridan’s other active project, Land Man. All of these titles are headed for ViacomCBS’ newly-launched streaming platform, Paramount+.
Mayor of Kingstown will be available to stream from November 14th of 2021 – watch the first trailer above.
