Based on the works of crime novelist Elmore Leonard and developed for television by showrunner Graham Yost, the FX drama series Justified is back for Season 4.  This time around, U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) is unraveling the mystery of a more than 30-year-old cold case that connects back to his criminal father’s (Raymond J. Barry) bad dealings, while Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) finds his grip on Harlan County loosening due to a preacher (Joseph Mazzello) with a talent for manipulation that rivals his own.  The show also stars Nick Searcy, Jacob Pitts, Erica Tazel and Joelle Carter.

During this recent exclusive interview with Collider, executive producer/writer Graham Yost talked about where things are headed this season, how this year’s theme is one of “the future,” where the idea of exploring the cold case came from, how difficult it’s been to keep Raylan from just killing Boyd, just how much interaction those two characters will have this season, what Patton Oswalt has brought to the character of Constable Bob, his desire to still get Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) on the show, that he sees the show going for six seasons, and that his endgame changes, every year.  He also talked about being an executive producer on the newest FX drama series The Americans, starring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys.  Check out what he had to say after the jump, and be aware that there are some spoilers.

After tooling around with motion-capture for the last decade, director Robert Zemeckis makes his return to live-action this year with the drama Flight.  It’s a welcome change for the Back to the Future filmmaker, and it now looks like he plans on sticking with non-rubber faced people for the time being as Tom Hanks has provided a promising update on the space adventure Major Matt Mason.  The 3D pic is an adaptation of the popular action figure and will star Hanks as the titular Mason, an astronaut trapped on a moon base with a group of people.  The story is one of survival, as the film won’t feature any aliens or antagonists.

Major Matt Mason has been in development for some time, and last we heard Zemeckis was in talks to direct the pic.  Now it looks like things are finally moving forward, as Hanks has co-written the screenplay and is now on the hunt for buyers.  Hit the jump for more.

Developed by Graham Yost and based on the works of crime novelist Elmore Leonard, the hit FX drama series Justified has proven itself to be one of the strongest written and best acted shows on television. One of the new additions for Season 3 has been actor Mykelti Williamson, as the mysterious Limehouse, a man who knows enough secrets to make almost everyone in Harlan uncomfortable.

During this recent interview about his role on the show, Mykelti Williamson talked about not knowing whether or not he’ll be returning next season, the fun of being kept in the dark about where things are going, what he thinks of his character, how much he enjoys watching the show as a viewer, his favorite scene in the finale, and that he keeps a character Bible of his own potential storylines that he hopes to suggest, should he return. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Keri Russell has agreed to star in the FX period drama pilot The Americans. The project comes from Falling Skies’ Joe Weisberg and Justified showrunner Graham Yost and centers on two KGB spies posing as a married American couple in the suburbs of Washington DC in the 1980s. The drama in the show comes not only from the spy aspect, but also from the fact that the couple has two children who are unaware of their parents’ true identities. Their relationship grows into a passionate and genuine relationship, but they’re constantly tested by the escalation of the Cold War and the “intimate, dangerous and darkly funny relationships they must maintain with a network of spies and informants under their control.” Deadline reports that, following prolonged negotiations, Russell has signed on to play the wife.

This is one of the more promising pilots currently in development, and Russell is an interesting choice for the lead. She came to prominence on the WB drama series Felicity, but took a stab at comedy in Mitch Hurtwitz’s Running Wilde. The latter show didn’t last, but I think The Americans is a smart move for the actress. Now producers turn to casting the husband, a crucial role as the character grows an affinity for America’s values and way of life.

While Fox may have gotten rid of Terra Nova to the chagrin of some sci-fi fans, the crime thriller fans should be pleased with the media giant as their cable channel FX has just renewed Justified for a fourth season. Six new episodes remain in the currently airing third season with the finale coming on April 10th, but the network already knows that it wants more of Timothy Olyphant as Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens.

Series creator Graham Yost says, “There are many reasons all of us on Justified are grateful to get a chance to do another season. We get to do more work with amazing actors, writers, producers, directors, musicians, editors and a jaw-droppingly talented crew.  We get to keep doing a show that appeals to a wide demographic: people in Harlan, retired US Marshals, criminals (we honestly did hear that), and, most happily, our guide, our muse, Elmore Leonard.  Best of all, we get to keep doing a show on FX (and while that may sound like craven ass-kissing, when you look at their roster, you can’t help but feel grateful to be on that list).” For the full press release including publicity fluff from the network and ratings, hit the jump.

Developed by Graham Yost and starring Timothy Olyphant, Justified is based on the works of crime novelist Elmore Leonard. As Season 2 ended the Bennett family’s hold over Harlan County and marked the return of Raylan’s (Olyphant) old nemesis/friend Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) to the criminal life, Season 3 picked up with him finding out that he and his crew aren’t the only ones making a play to rule the Harlan underworld. Now, Raylan finds himself dealing with a pregnant ex-wife (Natalie Zea) while facing off against dirty politicians, a mysterious man named Limehouse (Mykelti Williamson), and an enterprising criminal from the Motor City (Neal McDonough).

While at the TCA Winter Press Tour, showrunner/executive producer/writer Graham Yost talked to Collider for this exclusive interview about where this season is headed, how the new criminal element will affect things, that he’s hoping to get Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) and Patton Oswalt (Young Adult) on as guest stars since they’re both big fans of the show, the pressure of not repeating yourself while living up to what fans expect, and how far ahead they plan out where things are going with the story. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

Tom Hanks may want to seriously consider ever going into space.  His character in Apollo 13 didn’t even make it to the moon, and he and his crew had to defy the odds to make it safely back to Earth.  Last summer, we reported that director Robert Zemeckis was in talks to re-team with Hanks for Major Matt Mason, a 3D film adaptation based on the popular 1960s astronaut action figure.  But it doesn’t sound like things will be any easier for Major Mason.  Screenwriter Graham Yost (FX’s Justified) revealed new details on the upcoming adventure film.

Hit the jump for more.

Back in October, we reported that FX was developing a drama series called The Americans. At the time, all we knew was that it centered on Russian spies living in the U.S. in the 1980s. Now FX has announced that they’ve ordered a pilot for the drama, and we’ve got a few more details on the series. The show follows the arranged marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in the suburbs of Washington DC.

The married spy couple have two children who are unaware of their parents’ true identities, but the duo’s relationship “grows more passionate and genuine by the day, but is constantly tested by the escalation of the Cold War and the intimate, dangerous and darkly funny relationships they must maintain with a network of spies and informants under their control.” Furthermore, the father grows an affinity for America’s values and way of life. The series was created by Joe Weisberg (Falling Skies) who will executive produce alongside Justified’s Graham Yost. Hit the jump to read the full press release.

FX is currently in the midst of developing two new projects. The first of which is called Scar Tissue, and is based on the autobiography of Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis. The project was originally set up at HBO, but now The Wrap reports that FX is taking on the drama. Entourage executive producers Mike Benson and Marc Abrams will executive produce alongside Kiedis and Jason Weinberg. FX is also developing a project called The Americans, which centers on a group of Russian spies living in America in the 1980s. Graham Yost, the creator/writer/executive producer of the FX drama Justified is producing alongside Falling Skies executive producers Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, with Joe Weisberg (also from Falling Skies) writing and executive producing as well. Hit the jump to read the synopsis for Scar Tissue.

Timothy Olyphant is a movie star, but only on television. Sadly, between Deadwood and Justified, he’s also one of the only actors today who’s a credible cowboy, having spent three years playing an old west lawman on Deadwood, and now the modern variant in Justified. Here Timothy Olyphant is Raylan Givens, a U.S. Marshall who’s moved from Florida – after shooting a man – to Kentucky, where he grew up. There, he’s surrounded by the life he left behind and tries to arrest Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins), who may have blown up a church and killed a man or two. Based on the works of Elmore Leonard, this Graham Yost produced TV show is easily one of the most entertaining action/mystery serials in a good long while. My review of Justified Season One on Blu-ray follows after the jump.

FX has just renewed television’s greatest (only?) Western, Justified, for a second season of thirteen episodes.  The series premiered to widespread critical acclaim and a best-ever 4.9 million viewers for an FX debut.  The ratings have slipped a bit since then, but Justified has settled into a decent average of 3.4 million viewers per episode, somewhere between the little-watched third season of Emmy-winner Damages and the cultural zeitgeist that was the second season of Sons of Anarchy among the FX lineup.

Based on an Elmore Leonard short story “Fire in the Hole”, Justified was created by Graham Yost (Band of Brothers) and stars Timothy Olyphant (Deadwood) as a demure, yet trigger-happy U.S. marshal in small-town Kentucky.  Hit the jump for the full press release.

The work of Elmore Leonard has been adapted countless times for the cinemas to varying degrees of success–for every Out of Sight there are a couple of Be Cools.  On the small screen, Hollywood is 0 for 2–neither Karen Sisco or Maximum Bob (both based on Leonard stores) lasted more than a season.  And so, FX is tempting the fates with their newest hourlong, Justified.  Not only is protagonist Deputy U.S. marshal Raylan Givens derived from the author’s Fire in the Hole novella, but this particular Leonard adaptation dabbles in the Western, a genre which has not been truly viable on television since Gunsmoke ended the golden age of cowboys by signing off the airwaves in 1975. My review after the jump: