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[Thisstorycontainsmajorspoilersfortheseasonpremiere[ThisstorycontainsmajorspoilersfromtheseasonpremiereofMarshals.]
In order to revisit Luke Grimes Yellowstone A character with a spinoff, something has to turn Kayce Dutton’s world upside down.
The son of the late John Dutton (played by Kevin Costner) got off to a pretty perfect ending to the main series when he left his family farm behind with his wife Monica (played by Kelsey Asbell) and son Tate (Breckin Merrell).
But this happy ending was quickly undone Marshalsthe first of two Yellowstone The spin-off sequel is coming this year, which released its first episode on Sunday night. As strongly hinted in the trailer, Kayce is suffering a huge loss. The premiere has now confirmed that his wife, Monica, whose lineage is in the (fictional) Broken Rock tribe, has died after battling cancer due to toxic levels on the reservation.
Spencer Hodnut, the director, executive producer and writer who pitched the idea to Taylor Sheridan MarshalsHe said he, Sheridan and Paramount went through several ideas before he was told that Asbell, who played Monica in Yellowstonewas not available for the new series.
“When that happened, it became clear what this thing was to Casey,” Hudnot says. Hollywood Reporter. “It wasn’t like Luke and I were sitting there and saying, ‘We should kill off Monica.’ It was more like, ‘If she’s not available for this, what’s the best way to move on from that character in the least exploitative way?’
Below, Hudnut details the acquisition process Marshals On his feet, how he overcame his fears of taking over the reins of the show from prolific hitmaker Sheridan (a certified EP but, for the first time, didn’t write Yellowstone-Verse series), how many Yellowstone It will loom Marshalsif Kayce will be open to romance again in the 13-episode first season and his hopes for a multi-season show on CBS.
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Luke Grimes has credited the show with why he decided to wear Kayce Dutton’s cowboy hat again. Now that we know that hook, can you take us inside the conversations to get Luke to say yes?
Yes, that was the final hurdle. I think I got a lot of help from Taylor [Sheridan]which told Locke that I was worth listening to and perhaps had the kernel of an idea worth exploring. So we connected and it was a very easy conversation. It was not a straight step. It was a conversation. I quickly realized that Luke is a very smart guy. He is also a true artist. We both knew from the jump that Kayce had such a great ending Yellowstone As Luke said in that conversation, “What are we going to do, watch him be happy? This is so boring.” We both know we need to turn his world around. It was funny because I’m coming from Seal teamI was like, “I have to.” Yellowstone. I have to Yellowstone“Let’s go back and look more at his time as a person,” he said [Navy] Seal.” We were about to pitch our past to each other. It was, honestly, one of the easiest creative conversations I’ve ever had, as we clicked right away. I didn’t leave that conversation wondering if he was on board.
Did you approach Taylor Sheridan with your idea, or did he and the studio look to you to continue Casey’s story? If you can go back further.
My conversations started in May or June of 2024 with David Glaser at 101 and Keith Cox at Paramount, and it was really just an exploration: “Could Casey Dutton get a show that could be on CBS?” There were a few months of trying to figure this out.
Why Kayce for a CBS spinoff?
Because of his background and toolkit as an ex-Marine, and what we saw of him when he was in the livestock police – and also because he’s an obsessed cowboy. Because of everything he’s been through — all the loss in his life — he’s a compassionate first responder who has seen it all. I think this gives him more motivation to prevent others from going through what he went through. In that first conversation, they asked me about a few people from Yellowstoneand I kind of focused on Kayce, because as a viewer, Kayce has always been my favorite character. So it took us some time and some iterations.
Who else have they asked you about the possibility of a breakup?
David started the conversation by asking, “Would you rather watch a spinoff about Kayce Dutton or Beth Dutton?” And because he’s David Glaser, of course he’ll be hosting both shows on the air[alongwiththeupcomingspinoffRipandBeth[withtheforthcomingRipandBethspinoffDutton Farm]. But I think maybe because of some of my personal life and having just gotten off the SEAL team and Kayce’s backstory, it seemed like the character I connected with more. Fortunately, everything you said was true.
I imagine you’re Taylor Sheridan, who gave Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) an open ending to the series. Yellowstone But he ended Casey’s story with such a beautiful ending that he might hesitate to open Casey’s story again. Was it an easy conversation to pitch your idea to Taylor?
No, I wouldn’t say it was easy because I was so scared and was floundering about it. When you’re promoting someone, you want to be the best writer in the conversation. If you have a better writer with you, you want them next to you, not across from you. So the idea of telling him what his created character should do next was a little scary. But he was very generous. The timing was interesting because it was a week or two before the movie ended Yellowstoneso I didn’t know where Casey’s journey would end.
Oh, wow.
“Well, he might still have some skeletons,” I said. “You’ll see next week,” Taylor pointed out. “He’s quite at peace.” I thought to myself, “Oh, well, this is a great place to start a new journey…”He laughs).”So that was one of the complicated issues, which was setting Casey on a new path when he had such a beautiful ending.
How did you then find your way to convince them?
Well, Luke loves the character. He likes Kayce’s ability to choose. Casey struggled a lot Yellowstone. He’s been pulled in so many different directions, so seeing him actually commit to something and go down this path is going to be hard for him to escape Dutton. [legacy]I think that’s what Luke really connected with. He saw the positive side of unleashing Cayce in this way. So the question How do we turn his life upside down? It has become part of many conversations on the road. But I think he agreed to it because Taylor had created such a wonderful character, and I wasn’t going at him with something that sounded like a procedural model. I didn’t use the word “procedural” with him, because that’s a bad word with Luke. (He laughs.)
So how does Taylor give you the reins? I think this is his first show where he doesn’t write the first season himself. Did you have a bit of a “dirty” reaction to what was happening, or was that part of your show?
There’s definitely “holy shit” every step of the way. “Oh my God, that’s Taylor Sheridan in front of me”… “This is Casey Dutton I’m talking to right now” and “Now I have to go write this.” The biggest part of the process is that the work for me has been watching Yellowstone On the loop, especially Kayce. And also access to Taylor’s texts. Part of the work was really under the guise of the character and Taylor’s writing style, and I eventually realized that all I’d be doing if I was trying to be Taylor was doing a Taylor Sheridan cover band, which is not cool for anyone. Until I realize that I am no Taylor was also part of that journey, freeing myself from those expectations. But it’s definitely scary, and not just with Kayce, but then you get Gil Birmingham as Rainwater. Everything Rainwater said Yellowstone It was the most profound and brilliant thing, so that was that one [character] Which I really struggled with. At the first table, I went up to Gil and said, “I’m so sorry, man. Like, I don’t know!” He was very generous about it, but, yeah, it’s been a journey.
How then did you come to the idea – now that we can finally talk about this – that turning Casey’s life upside down meant Monica’s death? They’ve always been like this Strong marriage Yellowstone. Was it a big discussion?
The original conversation was that it had to be Something. There was this idea of, “Maybe we’ll find him just bored because he was protecting his family and he was a Marine, so the quiet life isn’t for him, which is his way.” But maybe the path isn’t satisfying enough for Casey. Then, honestly, while we were trying to figure it out, Monica wasn’t one of the ingredients available to me. It wasn’t like Luke and I were going to sit there and say, “We should kill Monica.” It was like, “If she’s not available for this, what’s the best way to transition from that character in the least exploitative way?”
I was going to ask how the conversation went with Kelsey Asbell not being a part of this series, but that didn’t occur to you?
No, I wasn’t a part of that, so I can’t really speak to how or why it happened the way it did. But when it happened, it became clear what this thing was for Cayce. And I think the way we did it, my goal was not to undermine that journey Yellowstone Because they have [the dream] “This is a dream come true,” she says at the end. They achieved it. They finally got what they wanted, and unfortunately, life intervened and disrupted everything Cayce wanted. So this is where we find it Marshals.
How did you land on how she died? Will we learn more about that time period, or is the series moving away from the past, as it finds itself in the upcoming episodes?
It was important to me to honor her death and give it more meaning. Of course there’s the version that’s really taking advantage of him and he’s just been killed, and he needs that [Marshals] Badge to get her revenge. But Casey Dutton doesn’t need a badge to go out and do something like that. I felt like it would come in at a different temperature than we wanted.
So, when I started thinking about the inciting incident, it seemed like I was connecting her death to a real-life issue that we could shed some light on. [was right]. The cancer rates on our reservations are really high, because of all the terrible things that have happened to them. So it seemed like a way to honor that character, kind of channeling Casey. Tate is at that gathering because of his mother, and Casey is there to protect Tate. So without Monica, Casey might not have found this path. So we will continue to explore [that]. I think Casey is a little behind his son in terms of accepting Monica’s loss and truly embracing his grief. We’ll revisit that period a little bit and really explore in the first half of the season Kayce’s journey of trying to let go and really accept that she’s gone.
How much are you trying to provide service Yellowstone Fans, compared to welcoming a new audience? Ending the premiere with Kayce at Monica’s tombstone seemed like a big nod to how this could be done Yellowstone It ended, because it was about honoring the generations that came before them. How much will be sprayed? Yellowstone connects each loop?
Given how successful and popular this show has been, and the richness of Kayce’s backstory and Dutton’s backstory – and we’re still in Montana; He’s still on the same farm they were all on Yellowstonein a corner of it – it would be really foolish to turn our backs on that. Early on, the budget work started from Yellowstonebut in a way that people who haven’t watched this show can follow along. And then over time, we get to know each otherYellowstone The more characters, the more they can carry the story. But I think we’ll always have that connective tissue Yellowstone. That’s what makes the show unique, so I think we’ll always try to serve that. Between rainwater and water [played by Mo Brings Plenty] And Casey, it would be foolish not to continue to take advantage of that.
Marshals Is there a total of 13 episodes?
Yes.
Have you selected multiple seasons? Does the end of this season clearly demonstrate the desire for more? What would be your vision, if it were up to you?
If you had asked me this nine months ago, I probably would have said I was just trying to get through episodes two and three. This came together very quickly. It was like – write the pilot and [writers] The room begins. But we definitely take the long view. It’s a CBS show. You want to have several seasons ahead of you. With all characters, there are things that we set up in season one that we want to pay off in season two or even in the future. But at the same time, we don’t want to stir things up and never respond to them. We’re definitely ending the season on a cliffhanger that paints us into a corner and requires us to come back for a second season, so fingers crossed.
Is there room for a Beth Dutton crossover, should the stars align?
Yes, I think if the stars aligned it would be great to have Beth and Rip in our world. Luke and I talked about it. I think it’s just a matter of getting those two productions, and trying to figure that out is going to be the challenge. But I definitely think that Yellowstone The audience deserves to see Casey and his sister together again at some point. They are finished Yellowstone In a really good place, and they’ve both lost so much family that it feels like their bonds will be stronger than ever.
With Taylor as an EP, how has the process been? Is there anything special you took away from working with him in this first season?
Throughout this process, he was always available to me. When I proposed, he was very gracious and we had a back and forth. He took into his brain what my thoughts were, a fair amount of what was on the screen, but he reshaped them and put them in the right package. Marshals. He did it in about three minutes, which was really annoying, because I’d been working on it for about six months. (He laughs.) Part of it was also accepting that he’s at this high level in terms of how his brain processes things – there’s a reason he is the way he is. But he wants the show to stay on its own. He has a very complete palette. I think it’s my job to keep things from getting on Taylor’s plate. So, with everyday life, it kind of allowed me to deal with it. But any time he shares his wisdom with me, I will gladly accept it.
Casey is currently sad, but is there room for romance in his future in Season 1? Anything you can tease?
I think the first part of the season is him trying to figure out how to let go of Monica. It’s been over a year. So I think if he is able to achieve that, it will open up some possibilities for him.
Is Mo Brings Plenty also consulting as the American Indian Affairs coordinator on this series?
Yes, he consults and is in front of the camera.
will Marshals Continue to highlight booking stories?
Yes. I think that’s one of the great things that Taylor did in his work, not just in it Yellowstonebut it also gives greater depth to our storytelling. We’re doing an episode to highlight the number of children missing from our reservations and how not enough is being done about it. The story of the mine [from the premiere] It will continue throughout the season. Trapping crushed rock gives us this connective tissue YellowstoneAnd it’s very valuable.
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Marshals New episodes release Sundays at 8pm on CBS, and air on Paramount+ the following day.
