‘Yellowstone’ Creator Taylor Sheridan Adds Jeremy Renner and Kyle Chandler to His Paramount Universe With ‘Mayor of Kingstown’
Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan is expanding his Paramount universe this fall with the new drama Mayor of Kingstown. New streamer Paramount+ has just dropped the first trailer, giving fans their first peek at the series. They’ve also released some cast information.
Just like Yellowstone, this new series is loaded with talent. Including Marvel star Jeremy Renner and Friday Night Lights alum Kyle Chandler.
The new drama from the ‘Yellowstone’ creator is about the prison industry
In recent years, Sheridan has made a name for himself in Hollywood in the western genre. But, he’s switching things up with Mayor of Kingstown. According to Deadline, Sheridan’s new series follows the McLusky family, who are power brokers in the city of Kingstown, Michigan.
The only thriving industry left in town is the business of incarceration, and the prison industry is exactly the world that Mayor of Kingstown will explore.
The McLusky family operates the Kingstown Penitentiary, and the series will follow them as they
“bend” the law — instead of breaking it — in an attempt to bring order and justice to their town. The drama will tackle themes of systemic racism, corruption, and inequality.
‘Mayor of Kingstown’ explores ‘a forgotten world’
In the new trailer, fans can see Renner as Mike McLusky, a man known as the titular “Mayor of Kingstown.” He’s not the elected mayor of his town, though. Instead, the preview shows that he earned this title through acts of goodwill, power, and sometimes a little deception.
Director Antoine Fuqua says that the major themes in this series about “fix-it men, part-time gangsters” are extremely relevant.
“The series offers a comprehensive look into the brutal prison system where sociopolitical issues run rampant,” Fuqua explained. “Prisons are a forgotten world to most of the population and yet represent a microcosm of society as a whole.”
Just like ‘Yellowstone,’ ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ has a powerhouse cast
Paramount recently revealed that Chandler has joined the series as Mitch McLusky, the older brother of Renner’s character. Deadline reports that Mitch is a “fixer both inside and outside the prison system in a town where the prisons are the economic engines to the city at large.”
The powerhouse cast also includes Dianne Wiest as McLusky matriarch Miriam, a teacher at the Kingstown Women’s Prison. Taylor Handley will play youngest brother Kyle McLusky. The cast also includes Derek Webster, Aidan Gillen, Emma Laird, Hugh Dillon, Pha’rez Lass, Hamish Allan-Headley, and Tobi Bamtefa.
The new Paramount+ series is not a ‘Yellowstone’ spinoff
Even though Mayor of Kingstown is part of Sheridan’s Paramount universe — and promises plenty of high stakes drama — the series is not a spinoff of Yellowstone. It doesn’t appear to have any connection to the popular cable series. So fans shouldn’t expect any cameos from Kevin Costner (John Dutton) in a special crossover episode.
However, Sheridan does have a Yellowstone prequel series set to debut in December — 1883. It will star Sam Elliot, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill. And will tell the story of how John Dutton’s ancestors migrated from Texas to Montana and acquired the land that became the Dutton Ranch.
How to watch ‘Mayor of Kingstown’
One week after the season 4 premiere of Yellowstone — which is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 7 — fans will get the chance to see the premiere of Mayor of Kingstown on the Paramount Network.
The exclusive sneak peek on Sunday, Nov. 14 will give fans the chance to see the first episode before the rest of the series moves exclusively to Paramount+. In order for fans to watch all the episodes of Mayor of Kingstown, they will need a Paramount+ subscription.
Those subscriptions start at $4.99 per month, with a seven-day free trial. The streaming service is also available as an add on to an existing Amazon Prime membership.
