Before Marshals, Luke Grimes Starred In A Rejected Neo-Western Series

In 2012, FX released a TV movie called "Outlaw Country." It starred Luke Grimes as a Nashville criminal and country singer whose uncle wants him to take over as head of the family's organized crime outfit. "Outlaw Country" didn't make much of an impression, but what many viewers didn't realize at the time was that this film was actually made as a pilot that, had it been picked up, would have seen Grimes starring in a neo-Western long before "Yellowstone" debuted.

Grimes had been acting for more than a decade before he was cast as Kayce Dutton on "Yellowstone," but the Dutton scion quickly became his most recognizable and popular role. The Navy SEAL turned rancher with a heart of gold was always getting caught up in his family's drama, but stayed the course and was rewarded with one of the best endings for any main character on "Yellowstone."

When the Grimes-led spin-off/sequel series arrived, however, Kayce clearly hadn't escaped the drama. "Marshals" killed off Kayce's wife, Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille) in the worst way possible: with an off-screen death that's barely explained in the pilot episode. That wasn't the best start to the new show but it looks as though Grimes' beleaguered rancher still won't escape the chaos as "Marshals" has already been green-lit for a second season. Whatever you think of the show, then, Grimes can now claim to have starred in two hit neo-Western series. But had his 2012 pilot been picked up, he might well have added a third to his filmography.

There are plenty of overlooked gems in Luke Grimes' filmography, including an underrated crime thriller with Frank Grillo. "Outlaw Country" could have become another had it been given a chance. The TV movie was actually shot as a pilot for a neo-Western TV Series starring Grimes, John Hawkes, Haley Bennett, and Mary Steenburgen. Much like "Yellowstone," the show was designed as a crime thriller/family drama, but rather than being set on the vast plains of Montana, this one played out in Nashville.

In 2010, Deadline announced that David Manson had been brought on board to co-run "Outlaw Country" alongside Josh Goldin and Rachel Abramowitz, who co-wrote the pilot. Soon after, Grimes was cast on the show as Eli Larkin, a character described by Deadline as a "half-cowboy, half-modern guy who tries to get out of the crime ridden life he has grown accustomed to." Sounds a lot like Kayce Dutton, doesn't it? Unfortunately, Eli Larkin didn't get a chance to escape anything.

"Sons of Anarchy" executive producers Art Linson and John Linson were already signed on to executive produce "Outlaw Country" at the time Grimes was cast. That might have been the first tenuous link between the actor and "Yellowstone" creator Taylor Sheridan, who previously left "Sons of Anarchy" after portraying Deputy Chief David Hale on the show for two seasons. While he would eventually give Grimes the role that made him a star, Sheridan had absolutely nothing to do with "Outlaw Country," which though it shared much in common with "Yellowstone" didn't see anything like the success of that mega-popular neo-Western series.

In 2011, it was reported that "Outlaw Country" had undergone reshoots. Despite the tweaks, however, just as HBO had passed on "Sons of Anarchy," FX ultimately decided not to take the show to series. Then in 2012 the network confirmed the "Outlaw Country" pilot was being repurposed as an 85-minute FX Original Movie, which was broadcast on August 24, 2012. As Deadline noted, this was unorthodox as unaired pilots "normally never see the light of day."

When it did air, "Outlaw Country" certainly had promise. It followed Luke Grimes' Eli Larkin as he tried to forge a music career and break away from his family's connection to organized crime. On his way, he caught the attention of Haley Bennett's Annabel Lee, who was charmed by Eli's musical talents. But just as Kayce Dutton struggled to break away from his own family's criminal dealings and the resulting drama, Eli had a hard time leaving his criminal past behind. Mary Steenburgen played Anastasia Lee, Anabel's mother and a country singer in her own right who has a dark past with John Hawkes' Tarzen Larkin, the head of organized crime in the small town from which Eli is trying to escape.

Over on Letterboxd viewers dubbed the film "a cross between the TV shows 'Nashville' and 'Justified'." While there are a few negative reviews — mostly because the pilot unsurprisingly doesn't work all that well as a self-contained film — plenty of users seemed to enjoy "Outlaw Country," with one writing "a long-form television show could have explored interesting territory only nodded at briefly here." Sadly, you're unlikely to be able to make up your own mind as "Outlaw Country" isn't available to stream, rent, or buy anywhere.