Hot off the conclusion of his long-running FX series Sons of Anarchy, Kurt Sutter is reteaming with the network on medieval epic The Bastard Executioner, which has just been green-lit for a 10-episode first season to air this fall.
Lee Jones, Stephen Moyer, Katey Sagal, Flora Spencer-Longhurst, Kurt Sutter and Sam Spruell all star in the period drama, which, according to FX’s official press release, tells the story of a warrior knight in King Edward I’s charge who is broken by the ravages of war and vows to lay down his sword. But when that violence finds him again he is forced to pick up the bloodiest sword of all. Expect a bloodstained, gritty series comparable to Game of Thrones and Camelot.
Darren Evans, Danny Sapani, Timothy V. Murphy, Sarah White, Sarah Sweeney, Elen Rhys, Ethan Griffiths and Matthew Rhys also have roles in the show.
John Landgraf, FX’s CEO, released an official statement expressing his enthusiasm at the network’s ability to reteam with Sutter:
“From his important contributions to The Shield to his epic run on Sons of Anarchy, Kurt has been one of FX’s most visionary artists, and we are proud to get him back on the air so soon after the unquestionable success of Sons. The Bastard Executioner has lined up an extraordinary creative team, with Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo and Paris Barclay joining Kurt as Executive Producers and an amazing cast led by Katey Sagal, Stephen Moyer and Lee Jones in the signature role as the Executioner himself. We knew they could deliver something special and, under the expert direction of Paris, they did just that. The fans can’t wait for the first season, and neither can we.”
For Sutter, the series was a perfect match. He added, “I love history. I love theology. I love blood. It’s been very satisfying weaving fact and fiction to create a new mythology that combines all these elements.” The showrunner has been housed at FX Networks for years, and he seemed to state that he has no plans to work elsewhere: “They not only tolerate me, they embrace my extremely disturbing storytelling sensibilities.”
The series order followed a successful pilot production in Wales, which is where Sutter and his crew will return to roll cameras on the remaining installments this summer.
The Bastard Executioner certainly looks more ambitious than most of FX’s series, but as the network makes strides to catch up with competitors like AMC, it’s aiming high with its original programming. No release date has yet been announced, but we’ll keep you posted when we hear of one.
