Series creator, executive producer and showrunner Kurt Sutter has left Netflix’s epic western show The Abandons, weeks before production wrapped. This is the second series departure for Sutter after he was reportedly fired from the Sons of Anarchy spinoff Mayans MC in 2019.
The Abandons EXPLAINED [NEW Kurt Sutter/Sons Of Anarchy Western Netflix TV Show]
Kurt Sutter has reportedly quit the upcoming series The Abandons due to creative differences.
Production is currently underway and is expected to wrap in Calgary, Alberta, in about three weeks, according to Deadline. In the absence of a showrunner, executive producer/director Otto Bathurst and co-executive producer Rob Askins will oversee production to ensure everything, including reshoots, goes according to plan.
Representatives for both Netflix and Sutter have not yet addressed the matter. According to Deadline, Sutter’s departure was the result of creative differences between the showrunner and the streaming giant over the direction of the project. Netflix was reportedly concerned about the 1 hour and 40 minute runtime of the series premiere. It proved impossible to edit the episode down to a shorter version, leading to the decision to split it into two parts. This came with its own set of problems. A cliffhanger scene was needed to conclude the first episode. That, in turn, required filming for additional scenes to wrap up the end of episode 1 and the beginning of episode 2.
