Unless your name is Taylor Sheridan and/or your project’s name is connected to that of Yellowstone, it’s hard out here for a Western. The 2024 TV schedule seems to have proven that yet again, as production on Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter’s latest series, The Abandons, has seen the mastermind exit.
As if that wasn’t bad enough news for Netflix’s new series boasting Game of Thrones vet Lena Headey in its cast, the timing doesn’t exactly bode well for the project. Per fresh reporting coming out of Deadline, Sutter departed The Abandons with just three weeks and one episode left before wrapping season 1.
In the absence of the series’ creator, executive producer/director Otto Bathurst and co-exec producer Rob Askins will oversee the remainder of production. Part of what’s left to go is a rather interesting reshoot request that may or may not have been the reason for Kurt Sutter’s departure.
For some, this turn of events may not be all that surprising, as Kurt Sutter's previous firing from Mayans M.C. saw him fired from his own prequel series due to "behavioral problems." But as cited in the report above, the problem that The Abandons is facing comes from a different source. The result is as disheartening as Kevin Costner’s uncertainty over Horizon: Part 3.
Apparently, creative differences came into play when it came to the length of the series premiere. Kurt Sutter was happy with an episode that was just shy of 2 hours, while Netflix execs allegedly wanted it to be split into a two-parter. That option apparently opened a can of worms when it came to how to make this particular request work, which ultimately required additional scenes to be written and shot to make it happen.
As The Abandons is now looking to tie up the loose threads of the two-part opener, as well as film the final episode on its schedule, it will now do so without Kurt Sutter as its steward. Based on what we know about The Abandons, the all-star western that co-stars The X-Files legend Gillian Anderson is as ambitious as Kevin Costner's current cinematic endeavor.
One could easily see that project being a sort of canary in the coal mine for Netflix execs who may have issued a greenlight in the wake of Yellowstone Mania. By time Horizon: An American Saga - Part I rebounded on streaming, confidence may have waned enough for executives to step in, and in turn potentially inspire the differences that prompted Kurt Sutter's departure.
Of course, this is all speculation, and we may never know what caused the rift between both parties in this matter. All we do know is that The Abandons is almost completed, with an unspecified target for its streaming debut. And to take part in whatever experience results, you'll need to have an active Netflix subscription to get in on the action.
