Kurt Sutter's western The Abandons starring Ryan Hurst & Michael Greyeyes begins production

Walking Dead universe actors Ryan Hurst and Michael Greyeyes have been cast in a new series helmed by Sons of Anarchy and Mayans M.C. creator Kurt Sutter. According to Netflix, The Abandons has begun production in Calgary.

Sutter created the series and will also serve as showrunner and executive producer under his SutterInk banner. The ten-episode series was announced by Deadline several years ago and, in 2022, was green-lit by Netflix. He has always wanted to create a Western, and during a pandemic rewatch of Bonanza, he merged that with his fascination with the origins of La Cosa Nostra, a criminal society originating in Sicily that dates in the mid-19th century, to create The Abandons.

In April, Hurst and Greyeyes were announced for the series that tells of a group of diverse families who reside in Oregon in the 1850s. Lena Headly portrays Fiona, a mother dedicated to raising her four children whom she adopted as they were orphans. Gillian Anderson will portray Constance, the matriarch of the Van Ness family who inherited their fortune in mining.

Michiel Huisman and Toby Hemingway were also announced at the same time as Hurst and Greyeyes. They joined previously announced Headly, Anderson, with Lucus Till and Aisling Franciosi. Additional cast includes series regulars Nick Robinson, Diana Silvers, Lamar Johnson, and Natalia del Riego.

Sutter, in an interview with Tudum, stated that he is "fascinated by the metamorphosis of good into evil." He adds that the series explores what occurs to force people to abandon their morals and become corrupt. This story will look at the "complex compromises through the most powerful human instinct — the love and protection of mothers.

The official synopsis of The Abandons: "As a group of diverse, outlier families pursue their Manifest Destiny in 1850s Oregon, 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 has begun filming in Calgary and will stream on Netflix.

Ryan Hurst - Recent roles

Hurst recently starred in Desert Road, a sci-fi horror that is the feature debut of director Shannon Triplett. The movie, which premiered at SXSW, also stars Beau Bridges, Frances Fisher, and Kristine Froseth. In 2023, he appeared in the crime drama Desperation Road with Garrett Hedlund, Willa Fitzgerald, and Mel Gibson, which streams on TUBI.

Other recent roles include S.W.A.T., The Mysterious Benedict Society, and the podcast series True War Stories: Mission Report, episode 5, "American Dreamer"

Michael Greyeyes - recent roles

Greyeyes recently starred in the Taylor Sheridan series 1923, the mystery thriller The King Tide, and directs and stars in the Canadian TV comedy series Acting Good.

He lent his voice talents to the third season of the Netflix animated series Spirit Rangers. This series was created by Karissa Valencia, a member of the Santa Ynez Band of the Chumash Nation, and the series writer's room was staffed entirely by Indigenous Americans. The series is geared towards preschoolers and follows "Native American siblings Kodi, Summer, and Eddy, secret Spirit Rangers who help protect the national park they call home."

Next, he will star in 40 Acres, a Canadian post-apocalyptic thriller that is the feature directorial debut of R.T. Thorne (Degrassi: The Next Generation, Utopia Falls). Starring Danielle Deadwyler, who portrays Hailey Freeman, the story tells of "her family are the last descendants of African American farmers who settled in 1875 in rural Canada after the first Civil War. Two hundred years later, they struggle to survive in a famine-decimated future and make their last stand against a band of cannibals intent on taking their home."

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