When the ABC sleuth series Castle left off in May, homicide detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) had just started to tell her crime-solving consultant, mystery writer Rick Castle (Nathan Fillion), how she really felt about him just as the author’s ex-wife waltzed in, ready to ruin a moment. (Talk about bad timing.) Turns out the exes were en route to the Hamptons for the summer — together — leaving the newly single Beckett in a lurch. So how did this new development affect the Beckett-Castle murder team? We’ll find out when Castle returns to ABC on Monday at 10/9c (and to Hulu Tuesday morning), but a few clues have turned up in this first look at the opening of season three’s premiere.

[Spoiler Alert:] From the look of things, it appears that the ruggedly handsome author got himself into some trouble after completing his new book, Naked Heat — and rather than contacting his friends on the force, Castle kept a low profile, instead. Too bad the homicide team aren’t so understanding when they catch the amateur sleuth with a smoking gun. — Rebecca Harper (rebecca.harper@hulu.com), Hulu Editor, for the Yahoo! TV Blog

From Filmmaker David Modigliani:

Where did the idea for Crawford come from? I was duped. I didn’t know George W. Bush wasn’t from Crawford, Texas. When I found out that he’d moved to Crawford in 1999, a couple of months before announcing his candidacy for President, I realized how well his “small town values” political stagecraft had worked. I considered myself an educated citizen, but I could have sworn he was actually from Crawford. I had bought the folksy narrative without thinking twice.

I’m based in Austin, Texas, two hours from Crawford, so I had to pay a visit. I wanted to see this town he’d made into a symbol. And I wanted to make a film indicting him for it.

As it turns out, I found something much more compelling: the people of Crawford, Texas itself. I can’t wait for all of you to meet these characters, to see the ways in which their lives change profoundly over the years. The kind of stuff you can’t write or even imagine. The spontaneity, hilarity and authenticity of feeling that comes only from following real people for a long time.

Thankfully, Crawford is not a film about George W. Bush — who wants another one of those? It’s about a tiny town thrust into big-time politics. It’s a look at the Bush era through the eyes of the people who’ve had a front row seat. It’s about a town that goes from 15 minutes of fame to ground zero for 20,000 protesters, becoming a microcosm for national conflict in the process.

If you’re looking for a political polemic or a filmmaker injecting himself into the story of a film, Crawford is not for you. If you’re looking for a narrator’s calm voice telling you what to think, Crawford is not for you. If you’re looking for a pedagogical exercise, Crawford is not for you. If you’re looking for a good story — a gritty, funny story, told by great characters — start watching and see what you find.

But first, let me say this: as a first-time filmmaker, I’m proud and I’m excited to premiere Crawford on Hulu. Over the last year, I’ve seen how the traditional models of film distribution are breaking down, how theatrical releases are failing, great films are going unwatched and distributors are closing their doors. And yet, simultaneously, I’ve seen that the audience for independent film is at an all-time high. There’s a buffer between quality content and an audience that’s hungry for it. Hulu’s excitement about Crawford and their choice to make it their first premiere will help us cut through the morass out there and connect all of you to a film I think you’ll love. These are exciting times.

Crawford will be able to play in Hulu’s high quality player on Facebook pages, fly over email and embed into blogs and websites. A lot of people are philosophizing about the future of film distribution; we’re doing it right here, right now.

This release is a true experiment and we’re excited to have all of you as partners and collaborators. After three years of filmmaking I can finally say: this is yours, now. Take it and run with it!

David Modigliani
Producer/Director of Crawford