Why Viola Davis Left The Jesse Stone Franchise (& Will She Return For The Next Movie?)

Summary

• Viola Davis exited Jesse Stone to focus on her film career, leading to her success with major roles in movies like Doubt.
• Molly Crane left the force in Sea Change and moved to L.A. to start a family.
• While it’s uncertain if Viola Davis would return for Jesse Stone 10, fans still hope for a cameo.

Viola Davis made an early exit from the Jesse Stone series, but would she ever return as Molly Crane? Tom Selleck has had some notable hits on the big screen like Three Men and a Baby, but he’s best known for his television work. Magnum P.I. famously cost him the role of Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark, but it’s still it’s the show that made him a star. In addition to fronting many Western TV movies like Monte Walsh in the years following Magnum P.I., the star fronted another long-running CBS show with Blue Bloods.

Blue Bloods ran for 14 seasons, and while Selleck and his co-stars have stated they’d love the show to continue, it will finish in 2024. Blue Bloods’ ending means Selleck can return to Jesse Stone, his ongoing series of TV movies involving the titular detective. Selleck fronted nine films based on the novels by the late Robert B. Parker, with the last entry arriving in 2015. Selleck has often spoken about returning for a tenth entry, but his Blue Bloods schedule made that tricky.

Viola Davis Left Jesse Stone To Focus On Her Film Career

David played Officer Molly Crane in the first four Jesse Stone movies

Viola Davis exited the Jesse Stone movies to focus on her film career, which included major roles in films like Law Abiding Citizen and Doubt.

Fans of the property will recall that Viola Davis played Molly Crane in the Jesse Stone movies, and exited following 2007’s Sea Change. Davis had yet to become a household name when she appeared in the series, though she had supporting roles in everything from sci-fi remake Solaris to Get Rich or Die Tryin’. Needless to say, Davis was great as Molly, and brought a sardonic humor to the role. The movies found Davis at a turning point in her career, as filmmakers were beginning to realize just how talented she was.

Viola Davis exited Jesse Stone to focus on her film career, which included major roles in films like Law Abiding Citizen and Doubt. Her Oscar nomination for Doubt also brought her career to a new level, and in the years that followed, she won more praise for TV series How to Get Away with Murder, Fences and The Woman King. It’s fair to say she is considered one of the best actors of her generation, and great as Davis was playing Molly, it was ultimately a supporting role that wasn’t the best showcase for her talents.

Viola Davis played 50 Cent’s Grandmother in
Get Rich or Die Tryin
,’ despite being a mere nine years older than her co-star.

Jesse Stone: Sea Change cast Kathy Baker as Rose, who replaced Molly after she left the force. Baker has since become a fan favorite part of the series, and while it made sense storywise, Rose’s absence from 2015’s Lost in Paradise was cited as an issue with the movie.

How Molly Crane Exited The Jesse Stone Movies

Sea Change was Molly’s last appearance to date

There’s not much drama involved in Molly’s exit from the series. In Sea Change, a drunken Jesse calls her up, and it’s revealed she has moved to L.A. Molly is also heavily pregnant, having resigned from the police force to start a family far away from gloomy Paradise. She is understandably concerned when Jesse calls her in the middle of the night, and after she gives her old boss an update on how life is going, she declares she needs sleep and wraps up their chat.

That was the last time Davis appeared in the Jesse Stone franchise, and considering she was Oscar-nominated by the time the fifth movie Thin Ice aired, the odds of luring her back felt slim. While Molly remains part of the book series, she’s been absent for five movies and counting.

Would Viola Davis Return For Jesse Stone 10?

It wouldn’t be the first time Davis made a surprise cameo

A tenth Jesse Stone has yet to be confirmed, but Selleck has told Parade he has a screenplay written out. The movies have a solid fanbase, and now the star has time to focus on projects outside of Blue Bloods, he will almost certainly be pushing for a Jesse comeback. In the years since Davis exited the franchise, she hasn’t had much to say on the subject of Jesse Stone or if she would be open to returning.

This is hardly a surprise, considering most of her interviews focus on higher-profile projects like The Suicide Squad. It’s unknown if Viola Davis would return for Jesse Stone 10, but outside of a cameo, it’s doubtful she would play a significant role. An uncredited appearance – like her cameo in James Gunn’s Peacemaker – is the best fans of Molly Crane can hope for, but despite how much Davis’ star has risen in the last 20 years, it would be nice to see her reprise the role one last time.

Source: Parade