Yellowstone‘s resident Beth Dutton, Kelly Reilly, has already nabbed her next big project following the pending end of the Western series later this year.
According to an exclusive via Variety, Reilly will star as former detective turned teacher Jackie Ellis in Claire Oakley’s new original series, Under Salt Marsh, a gripping thriller set in the fictional Welsh town of Morfa Halen. Split into six parts, the series sees Oakley co-write, direct, and executive produce the project under the banner of Little Door Productions, with Jonathan Harbottle and Nikita Lalwani co-writing and Mary Nighy directing episodes 3 and 4.
Production on the project begins later this year. Although a product of Sky in the UK, NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution are confirmed to be fronting international sales. An official synopsis for the series reads:
“As a once-in-a-generation storm begins to gather far out at sea, former detective turned teacher Jackie Ellis discovers the body of her 8-year-old pupil, Cefin, seemingly drowned. The discovery sends shockwaves through the community, reviving the ghost of an unsolved cold case that rocked the town three years prior – the disappearance of Jackie’s niece, Nessa, which cost her career. Cefin’s death summons Jackie’s former partner, Detective Eric Bull, back to Morfa Halen to lead the investigation into a community he failed once before. Convinced the cases are linked, Jackie and Bull must reconcile and race to uncover long-buried secrets inside Morfa, before the storm breaks and all the evidence is gone for good.”
Oakley has confessed her delight at the casting of superstar Reilly in the lead role, saying in a quote cited on Variety, “‘Under Salt Marsh’ is a crime thriller set in a community deeply connected to its environment, and interwoven with the heartache, fears, dreams and secrets of its people.
At the heart of it all is Jackie, a character who embodies the wildness of the place we’re depicting. She’s free-spirited, compassionate, and determined, with a steely resolve that makes her truly of the land. We’re absolutely thrilled to have Kelly Reilly bringing Jackie to life.”
Kelly Reilly Has One Final Rodeo in ‘Yellowstone’ This November
A fan-favorite character, Reilly’s Beth Dutton has been an enormous part of Yellowstone‘s success, with viewers sadly only getting six more episodes of the series as Season 5 enters its second half this November. Premiering on November 10, 2024, on Paramount+ and the following day in the UK, the final episodes will feature characters like Jamie (Wes Bentley), Kayce (Luke Grimes), and Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille), but sadly not include Kevin Costner‘s John Dutton after the veteran actor moved onto his own Western project – the four-part epic Horizon.
Kelly Reilly will star in the upcoming series Under Salt Marsh. You can catch every episode of Yellowstone right now on Paramount+.
