Kurt Sutter is leaving Netflix series The Abandons as production comes to an end

EXCLUSIVE: This is a shock: Kurt Sutter is out of the Netflix series The Forsaken Just three weeks before production on the sprawling Western starring Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson is set to wrap in Calgary. Sutter was the executive producer/showrunner of the series, which he also created.

The Forsaken Executive producer/director Otto Bathurst and co-executive producer Rob Askins will oversee the remainder of filming – including reshoots, which will continue as planned without a new showrunner being named. (Sutter and Bathurst can be seen in the cast photo above, taken early in production in May.) The Forsaken I heard that seven episodes are already six episodes into filming. Representatives for Netflix and Sutter declined to comment.

The departure is believed to be due to creative differences over the direction of the major production while filming wraps and goes into post. I heard that an alarm went off at Netflix when the first cut of the dense first episode, which sets the scene and introduces the large group of main characters, came in at 1 hour and 40 minutes. Reducing it to one hour proved impossible, so it was decided to split the episode, written by Sutter and directed by Bathurst, into two parts. This required creating a cliffhanger in the middle of the episode with additional scenes at either end to conclude the premiere and introduce Episode 2.

According to sources, these additional scenes have been written but not yet filmed, which is why Netflix has decided to make a change at the helm The Forsaken comes after watching the unfinished, freshly shared first two episodes and part of episode 3. I heard that Netflix executives felt the cuts seemed a bit disjointed and not propulsive enough, but there was no meeting between the streamer's top executives and Sutter to address the concerns.

It wouldn't be the first time that Sutter has disagreed with creative executives. And it's not the first time he's left a show during production.

In 2019, Sutter was fired from his previous series FX's Mayans MC., following an investigation into complaints from writers, producers, cast and crew members about a hostile work environment on the show. Sutter denied the allegations at the time — he later acknowledged his past behavior — and instead spotlighted the “creative scrutiny of Disney,” which he said led to conflict when he “pushed back.” Hard.”

There were no reports of major disagreements on set, but there were rumors of friction between Sutter and the top stars The Forsaken about storylines, levels of collaboration and communication. I've heard that the large-scale production actually went over budget, and there are plans to mitigate that somewhat by shortening one day of filming for the finale, whose script, written by Sutter, was approved by Netflix five weeks ago. Due to general budget cuts at Netflix (and other networks and streamers), the order is in effect The Forsakenoriginally announced as 10 episodes, was shortened to 8 and later to 7 episodes. With the division of episode 1, there are now 8 again.

I hear that the quick action could also be due to the tight production schedule The Forsaken It's scheduled to launch in April, and all Netflix series take several months to sync before releasing.

The Forsaken The story follows a group of diverse misfit families as they pursue their apparent destiny in 1850s Oregon, while a corrupt force of wealth and power that covets their land tries to drive them away. These abandoned souls, the kind of lost souls who live on the fringes of society, unite their tribes, form a family and fight back. In this bloody trial, “justice” goes beyond the limits of the law. The Abandons will explore the fine line between survival and law, the consequences of violence and the corrosive power of secrets as this family fights to keep their land.

Sutter, who told Deadline that he had always wanted to make a western, was inspired to create this idea The Forsaken after watching Gold mine Reruns about the pandemic. He started the project in 2021 at Netflix – which was looking for a western series.

In addition to Headey and Anderson, the ensemble cast also includes Nick Robinson, Diana Silvers, Lamar Johnson, Natalia del Riego, Lucas Till, Aisling Franciosi, Toby Hemingway, Michael Greyeyes, Ryan Hurst, Katelyn Wells, Clayton Cardenas, Elle-Maija Tailfeathers, Brían F. O'Byrne, Marc Menchaca, Patton Oswalt, Michael Ornstein, Jonathan Koensgen, Jack Doolan, Michiel Huisman, Haig Sutherland and Sarah White.

Rosy Cordero and Lynette Rice contributed to this report.