Kurt Sutter, who previously created Sons Of Anarchy and its spinoff Mayans, M.C., recently signed an exclusive deal with Netflix and is already working on his first show for the streaming giant; the three-time Emmy nominee is developing a western series titled The Abandons.
The show is only in early development right now, but Sutter mentioned that the series will likely examine the early origins of the Mafia, and how poor families were being marginalised by the land barons and the aristocrats in the old west, before eventually banding together to defend themselves and becoming the law and order of the land.
This news comes not long after Netflix hired Sutter to helm his first feature film, This Beast. The streamer had circled Sutter after his abrupt exit from FX in 2019, where he had spent two decades. Sutter didn’t sugarcoat his words when discussing his departure:
“I felt the creative scrutiny of Disney from day one. Notes on scripts and cuts have been heavy handed. Demanding a level of dumbing-down story and inane PC restraints like I’ve never experienced before. I genuinely feared for the creative future of the storytelling. So I pushed back. Hard.”
Netflix’s deal with Sutter continues their strategy of hiring the biggest TV names. The streamer has already secured Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy, and those moves have quickly paid off, with Rhimes delivering period hit Bridgerton (with Inventing Anna coming early next year) and Murphy having involvement in seemingly every other hit show out there.
Netflix would love The Abandons to match the quality of Sons Of Anarchy, but even if it doesn’t they know Sutter has a strong fanbase that will follow him to their platform. Don’t expect him to be the last major TV name that Netflix hires.
#Peace.Love.TheAbandons
