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Paramount+ is developing a brand-new series with Kenneth Branagh that will serve as a Scottish replacement for Yellowstone.
The award-winning actor's filmography is long and varied, with roles in movies like Much Ado About Nothing, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Murder on the Orient Express, Oppenheimer and The Devil Wears Prada 2, and directing credits on Hamlet, Thor, Death on the Nile and A Haunting in Venice, among many others.
The streamer just announced that Branagh will star in a new Scotland-set series called Laird and serve as an executive producer. The show takes place in the modern Scottish Highlands, where the titular Laird of Castle Drummoch, played by Branagh, disobeys an American billionaire who's determined to buy the glens.
Branagh's character goes into protection mode to ensure that the ancestral lands stay in their current condition. Family feuds, shocking secrets, and romance will be woven throughout the series as well.
Jane Wiseman, the head of originals at Paramount+, described Laird as being about "one man standing his ground against unchecked wealth and power," with Paramount Television Studios President Matt Tunell adding that the family at the center of the series will go to great lengths to "protect their land and legacy."
Jane Wiseman: “At its heart, Laird is about one man standing his ground against unchecked wealth and power. There's something universally resonant about watching someone fight to protect what matters most, and with Kenneth Branagh leading the series, and an equally remarkable creative team, we can't wait for audiences to root for the Laird of Castle Drummoch."
Matt Thunell: “Jez, John-Henry, and Georgia have imagined a gripping drama that explores how far one family will go to protect their land and legacy. With Kenneth Branagh starring and Joe Wright directing, this is a singular creative team, and we are thrilled to once again partner with 101 Studios to bring this series to Paramount+.”
MobLand showrunner Jez Butterworth created Laird with John-Henry Butterworth and Georgia Lee. Branagh's fellow executive producers are the Butterworths, David C. Glasser, Joe Wright, Ron Burkle, David Hutkin, Bob Yari, Charles Finch and Keith Cox. Wright is also on board as director of the pilot episode.
Paramount+ is the home of several shows by Taylor Sheridan, including 1883, Mayor of Kingstown, 1923, Tulsa King, Lioness, Landman and The Madison. He's currently under contract with the streamer through 2028 (after which he'll move to NBCUniversal).
Before this partnership began, though, Sheridan created the hit Western drama Yellowstone, which aired for five seasons and starred Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, Jefferson White and Gil Birmingham.
Yellowstone centers on the Duttons, a cattle ranching family that works hard to fend off developers intent on buying up the land while trying to make a living and dealing with internal family drama. While Yellowstone and Laird are different in many ways, including their locations, the central plot of each show is very similar.
Sheridan isn't involved with Laird, but Paramount+ is taking his basic premise and expanding it on an international level, with help from an acclaimed actor and filmmaker like Branagh, who has won awards at the Oscars, Emmys, and Golden Globes. As it's still in the early stages of development, a premiere date for Laird has not been announced yet.
