Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter has exited his new Netflix western collection The Abandons. Starring Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson, the collection was additionally set to function a reunion for Sutter together with his earlier Sons of Anarchy castmates Michael Ornstein and Ryan Hurst. The Abandons was set to be Sutter’s first main tv venture after he was fired from the Sons of Anarchy spinoff collection Mayans M.C. in 2019, serving as its creator, showrunner, and govt producer.

As initially reported by Deadline, Sutter has exited work on The Abandons with three weeks left earlier than manufacturing was scheduled to wrap. Whereas Netflix and Sutter’s reps have declined to remark, sources counsel the change got here as the results of artistic variations that arose after the streamer had seen tough cuts of the primary few episodes.

Friction reportedly started when an early minimize of the primary episode ran an hour and 40 minutes lengthy, and after chopping it down proved inconceivable, the choice was made to separate it into two episodes. This necessitated some rewrites and reshoots, and Deadline‘s sources declare the brand new scenes have been written, however not but filmed. Netflix selected a management change after viewing unfinished cuts of the newly divided episodes and episode 3, which executives felt had been disjointed and missing in ahead momentum. There was reportedly no additional assembly between Netflix and Sutter to handle these issues.

The report mentions that whereas there have not been main on-set conflicts, Sutter and main forged members have skilled “friction… over storylines, degree of collaboration and communication.“The Abandons has additionally gone over price range, Deadline claims, with company-wide price range cuts having beforehand minimize the present’s episode depend from ten to seven, which the cut up first episode introduced again as much as eight.

The remaining weeks of manufacturing can be overseen by govt producer and director Otto Bathurst and co-executive producer Rob Askins, although no new showrunner of The Abandons can be named. Deadline speculates that the suddenness of Sutter’s departure could possibly be motivated by scheduling, as the present is reportedly concentrating on an April 2025 launch and all Netflix collection want months upfront for dubbing in worldwide markets.

What Kurt Sutter’s Exit Means For The Abandons

Sutter Has Had A Powerful Time Recapturing His Earlier Success

Regardless of Sons of Anarchy’s overwhelming reputation, Sutter has confronted a troublesome time making an attempt to recapture the success loved by his outlaw motorbike gang present. In 2015, Sutter’s 14th century historic drama The Bastard Executioner was cancelled after only one season, and his 2019 departure from Mayans M.C. was reportedly resulting from complaints of unprofessional conduct. Nevertheless, Sutter would later refute these claims, insisting that the choice to take away him was primarily resulting from Disney’s “inane PC restraints.”

When it was first introduced, The Abandons not solely appeared poised to ship a chance for Sutter to recapture his iconic model of outlaw drama, however his new residence at Netflix appeared a significantly better match than the Disney-owned FX that he so publicly railed towards. Sadly, nonetheless, these newest stories would doubtless point out that The Abandons is not going to function Sutter’s much-anticipated return to type. Furthermore, whereas the present does appear set to proceed with out him, his newest departure may also doubtless forged a cloud over the present’s future and its probabilities of persevering with past its first season.

Our Take On The Abandons’ Future

Can The Netflix Western Survive Sutter’s Exit?

Quite a few profitable reveals have managed to reach the wake of their unique creator’s departure. Even Mayans M.C. would proceed on for 3 extra seasons following Sutter’s highly-publicized exit. Nevertheless, Sutter and Netflix’s stunning determination to half methods on The Abandons earlier than it has even concluded manufacturing on its inaugural season doesn’t bode nicely for the present’s potential longevity.

With many Sons of Anarchy followers initially excited on the prospect of Sutter placing his personal spin on an American frontier story, his determination will come as a bitter blow for these hoping to see his western present recapture the identical form of success as his flagship collection.

Supply: Deadline