Kurt Sutter – Picture: Getty Images
Hoping to compete with Yellowstone, 1883, and pick up the mantel from Longmire, Netflix is teaming up with Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter for a new show Western series called The Abandons. The series will be set in the 1850 US, the Wild West. After numerous delays, the series has finally begun filming. Here’s everything we know.
First announced in November 2021, The Abandons will have Kurt Sutter as its showrunner and executive producer. He spoke about the series a year ago then:
“I’ve always wanted to do a western, even before Sons, and then Deadwood came out, There’s that great lore of Ian Anderson wanting to be a great rock guitarist, and he saw Clapton play, and he said, ‘F*ck, I’m going to become the best rock flautist that ever lived.’ And he did just that for Jethro Tull. This is how I felt when I saw Deadwood. I said, ‘Let me stick to the crime genre” and then used just about every actor that was on that show. But I do love the genre, and over the pandemic, I tried to get a western IP.”
Picture: Getty Images
It marks Sutter’s second project at Netflix, as he also has a feature film, This Beast, about a trapper’s battle with an elusive beast ravaging an 18th-century English village. The series will be produced by Sutter’s company SutterInk.
This fits in a booming and under-tapped genre, particularly on Netflix. The Taylor Sheridan universe is one of the most prized possessions of Paramounts current lineup, and Longmire (a Netflix show) is regularly seen in the Nielsen Top 10s.
Otto Bathurst and Stephen Surjik are among the directors who are set to direct the series. Aske Foss will serve as the cinematographer on the new series.
Here’s everything else we know about The Abandons:
What’s the plot of The Abandons?
Here’s the plot synopsis for Netflix’s The Abandons:
The Abandons follows a group of diverse, outlier families pursuing their Manifest Destiny in 1850s Oregon when a corrupt force of wealth and power, coveting their land, tries to force them out.
These abandoned souls, the kind of lost souls living on the fringe of society, unite their tribes to form a family and fight back. In this bloody process, “justice” is stretched beyond the boundaries of the law. The Abandons will explore that fine line between survival and law, the consequences of violence, and the corrosive power of secrets, as this family fights to keep their land.
Kurt Sutter spoke about his fascination with the subject:
“I’ve always been fascinated with the origins of La Cosa Nostra, how these Sicilian peasant families were being more than marginalized by the land barons and the aristocrats, These families banded together to defend themselves from these abusive land barons, and from that taking those matters into their own hands, La Cosa Nostra was born and became the authority and the law and the order of the land.
That was an actual term of the period where it was this kind of catchall phrase that described the outliers, the orphans, the prostitutes, the cripples, the bastards — basically the kind of lost souls living on the fringe of society. That is my favorite neighborhood. We are on the Western Frontier, somewhere between the Dakotas and California, small cattle town, circa 1850. So, it’s post-Gold Rush, pre-Civil War, and then, some natural resource is discovered.”
Sutter then detailed what the first season will be about:
“That whole first season will be about the evolution of them as, you know, turning into outlaws, in a period before all the iconic outlaws that we know, like Jesse James and Billy the Kid. All those cats didn’t happen until after the Civil War, but the Pinkertons were around, so you know there were outlaws. So, it’s sort of like the precursor to the James Gang and other sort of iconic outlaws that we associate with the Wild West. So we might wink at history, say in Season 2 or 3 crossing paths with an 11-year-old Billy the Kid, and yet still be able to play in the fictional world, to me, is cool. And it helps me avoid the gunfights in the street and experience the Western while I get to lean away from some of the expected tropes.”
Who is cast in The Abandons?
Lena Headey (Game of Thrones, Masters of the Universe: Revelation) was the first confirmed cast member.
Headey will play Fiona Nolan, a “strong, devout matriarch who, unable to have her own children, took in four orphans to create her own family. Driven by a higher purpose—and a strong-willed Irish temper—her faith and love for her family trump all.”
Lena Headey – Picture courtesy of Netflix
Gillian Anderson, who has starred in multiple Netflix projects, such as The Crown, Sex Education, and Scoop, will play Constance Van Ness. Her character description states she’s “fit and measured,” adding, “Van Ness inherited her husband’s mining fortune, then doubled it. Despite the bias against women, her money, charm, and ruthlessness created a network of political allies. For her, power, wealth, and lineage trumps all.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 18: Gillian Anderson presents the Supporting Actor Award on stage during the EE BAFTA Film Awards 2024 at The Royal Festival Hall on February 18, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Kate Green/BAFTA/Getty Images for BAFTA)
The remaining series regulars are Natalia Del Riego (NCIS: Los Angeles) as Lilla Belle, Aisling Franciosi (The Fall) as Trisha Van Ness, Lamar Johnson (The Last of Us) as Albert Mason, Nick Robinson (Jurassic World) as Elias Teller, Diana Silvers (Booksmart) as Dahlia Teller, and Lucas Till (X-Men: Apocalypse) as Garrett Van Ness.
From top left to bottom right: Natalia Del Riego, Aisling Franciosi, Lamar Johnson, Nick Robinson, Diana Silvers, Lucas Till
Confirmed cast members for having a recurring role in the series are Clayton Cardenas (Mayans M.C.), Jack Doolan (Sisu), Michael Greyeys (Wild Indians), Toby Hemingway (The Covenant), Michael Huisman (Game of Thrones), Ryan Hurst (The Walking Dead), Jonathan Koensgen (FUBAR), Marc Menchaca (Ozark), Brían F. O’Byrne (Million Dollar Baby), Michael Marisi Ornstein (Sons of Anarchy), Patton Oswalt (Ratatouille), Haig Sutherland (The Flash), Elle-Maija Tailfeathers (Night Raiders), Katelyn Wells (Ginny & Georgia), and Sarah Grace White (Grey’s Anatomy).
What’s the production status of The Abandons?
Official Production Status: Filming Underway (Last Updated: 08/04/2024)
Filming was previously scheduled to run from August 14th, 2023, until January 15th, 2024. However, thanks to the ongoing WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike production is officially delayed.
We’ve since learned that The Abandons will begin filming on May 14th, 2024. Filming will last five months and will conclude by October 18th, 2024.
Filming is confirmed to be taking place in Oregon, United States, and Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
On May 14th, 2024, Kurt Sutter on Instagram confirmed that filming was underway on the new series saying:
“The Abandons. Day 1. After maneuvering our own Oregon Trail — Labor disputes, scheduling, weather, etc. — cameras finally begin rolling. We have assembled an amazing cast and crew. I am in tremendous gratitude. No matter what happens with the show, I am already a better artist as a result of it. Thank you.”
How many episodes will be in The Abandons?
Netflix’s The Abandons will have ten one-hour episodes.
What’s the Netflix release date for The Abandons?
Filming is expected to end in mid-October 2024, making a 2024 release date highly improbable. However, a 2025 release date is likely, with a possible Spring or Summer 2025 release.
Are you looking forward to watching The Abdandons on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below.
