Kelly Reilly, award-winning actor and star of acclaimed ’Yellowstone’, to lead gripping new Sky Original crime thriller ‘Under Salt Marsh’

Award-winning actor Kelly Reilly (Yellowstone, Here) is to star in new Sky Original crime thriller, ‘Under Salt Marsh’, from Writer, Creator and Executive Producer Claire Oakley (Make Up). Oakley will also helm the series as lead director. The series, produced by Little Door Productions in association with Sky Studios will begin filming later this year.

Under Salt Marsh is a gripping crime thriller set in the fictional Welsh town of Morfa Halen, a tight-knit community precariously nestled between towering mountains and a fast-encroaching sea that threatens its very existence. As a once-in-a-generation storm begins to gather far out at sea, former detective turned teacher Jackie Ellis (Reilly) 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. An intimate and cinematic story, Under Salt Marsh takes audiences into the heart of a community bound by nature and fractured by an unthinkable crime. 

Claire Oakley, Writer, Creator and Showrunner, said; “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.”

Elwen Rowlands, Executive Producer and CEO, Little Door, said; “It’s been a pleasure developing this series with the inspirational Claire Oakley. Sky Studios coming onboard has given the show a perfect home and now we have the hugely talented Kelly Reilly taking on the lead role – we couldn’t be happier.”

Meghan Lyvers, Director of Original Series, Sky Studios UK&I, said; “Under Salt Marsh is a uniquely powerful drama which we are incredibly proud to support at Sky Studios. Claire Oakley is an exceptional creative talent who has crafted a deeply emotional and universal story which explores themes of loss, resilience, and community, all whilst pushing the boundaries of the crime thriller genre.”

Kelly Reilly is an award-winning English theatre, film, and television actress. Reilly is best known for starring as “Beth Dutton” in Taylor Sheridan’s Paramount Network drama series Yellowstone, which became the US’ most-watched show on TV two years running. For her performance, Reilly was nominated for a 2023 Critics Choice Award for “Best Actress in a Drama Series,” a 2022 SAG Award for “Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series,” and the 2022 MTV Television and Film Award for “Best Performance in a Show.” Previously, Reilly starred in the second season of HBO’s critically acclaimed series ‘True Detective’ and Sky Original ‘Britannia’.

Under Salt Marsh is produced by Little Door Productions in association with Sky Studios. The series is written by Claire Oakley, Jonathan Harbottle and Nikita Lalwani. The lead director is Claire Oakley, with Mary Nighy directing Episodes 3 and 4. The series producer is Scott Bassett. Executive Producers are Elwen Rowlands for Little Door Productions, Megan Spanjian for Sky Studios, and Claire Oakley.

Under Salt Marsh will be available on Sky and streaming service NOW in the UK, Ireland and Italy. NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution will handle international sales of the series. 

Kelly Reilly is represented by CAA & Anonymous Content. Claire Oakley is represented by LARK and UTA.

Claire Oakley image credits: Gabby Laurent

About Sky

Sky is one of Europe’s leading media and entertainment companies and is part of Comcast Corporation, a global media and technology company that connects people to moments and experiences that matter. At Sky we Believe in Better. It’s in our DNA.

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About Sky Studios

Sky Studios is the home of Sky Original Drama and Comedy.

We develop, commission and produce unmissable programming for Sky’s customers across Europe.

Our teams partner with the best indies and talent globally, to drive creative excellence and tell original stories that are loved by audiences the world over.

Our Sky Originals include Emmy-nominated hit, Gangs of London, BAFTA-winning comedy, Brassic, Mary & George, starring Julianne Moore, The Day of the Jackal, with Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch, M. Son of the Century, directed by Joe Wright and Small Town, Big Story, created by Chris O’Dowd.

Alongside Sky Original Comedy and Drama, Sky Studios is home to an in-house Factual development and production team, and some of the world’s most exciting production companies including Blast! Films, True North and Love Productions.

We also operate Sky Studios Elstree, the UK’s newest film and TV studio with 13 sound stages, representing a significant investment in the UK and European creative economy.

About Little Door Productions

Little Door Productions is an emerging high-end drama producer co-founded by CEO Elwen Rowlands and COO Hayley Manning. It makes authored content for the local and global markets. Their first series, The Pact, produced for BBC and Lionsgate, had a successful release in 2021 on BBC One in the UK and Sundance in the US. It became one of iPlayer’s most streamed shows of that year. Series two of The Pact was released in October 2022 and is available on iPlayer.  Little Door has received BFI funding from the UK Global Screen Fund International Business Development Strand. Their next production is a collaboration with film maker Claire Oakley – Under Salt Marsh – for Sky Studios and NBCUniversal.

Website: www.littledoor.tv

Instagram: @littledoorproductions