The pilot for “The Bastard Executioner” would have had to be a disaster for FX not to order a first season; “Bastard” creator Kurt Sutter masterminded what was for years FX’s most popular series, the biker drama “Sons of Anarchy.”
There are no motorcycles in Sutter’s new project, which premieres this autumn and sounds to me like a 14th century “Equalizer” or “John Wick” or “Billy Jack.”
Logline:
“A period drama, The Bastard Executioner 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.”
(If that king sounds familiar, Edward I was played by the late Patrick McGoohan in “Braveheart.”)
The series stars Sutter himself, alongside his wife and “Anarchy” co-star Katey Sagal, Lee Jones (the Australian series “Magical Tales”), Stephen Moyer (“True Blood”) and Sam Spruell (“The Last Ship”).
If ABC orderd this instead of FX, would it be titled "The B Executioner"?
Press release:
THE BASTARD EXECUTIONER SWINGS INTO ACTION THIS FALL ON FXHighly Anticipated New Project From Kurt Sutter Ordered to Series After Successful Pilot Production in Wales
FX Drama Stars Lee Jones, Stephen Moyer, Katey Sagal, Flora Spencer-Longhurst, Kurt Sutter and Sam Spruell
Ensemble Cast Also Includes Darren Evans, Danny Sapani, Timothy V. Murphy, Sarah White, Sarah Sweeney, Elen Rhys, Ethan Griffiths and Guest Star Matthew Rhys
Executive Producers Are Sutter, Imagine Television’s Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo, and Paris Barclay, Who Also Directed the Pilot
LOS ANGELES, May 22, 2015 – Steel yourself for a gripping and brutal journey through the Late Middle Ages as FX has ordered a 10-episode first season of Kurt Sutter’s new series The Bastard Executioner, it was announced today by John Landgraf, CEO, FX Networks and FX Productions. Sutter and an impressive cast recently completed production of the pilot in Wales, where production will resume this summer before airing on FX this fall.
A period drama, The Bastard Executioner 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.
“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,” said Landgraf. “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.”
“Kurt Sutter and Brian Grazer have been spectacular creative partners -- and dear friends -- to our studio for years, and their collaboration has resulted in a fantastic and epic new series,” commented Fox Television Group Chairmen and CEOs Gary Newman and Dana Walden, whose Fox 21 TV Studios will produce the project with FX Productions. “The Bastard Executioner, written by Kurt and directed by the talented Paris Barclay, is dangerous, brilliant, emotional and undeniable. This is the perfect follow-up to Sons and another huge event series for FX from Fox 21TVS and FXP. Viewers are in for a wild and spellbinding ride.”
Added Sutter, “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. And with this extraordinary cast -- Stephen Moyer, Katey Sagal and newcomer, Lee Jones -- this world explodes on screen. I love working with FX and Fox21TVS. They've been my family for 15 years. They not only tolerate me, they embrace my extremely disturbing storytelling sensibilities.”
The Bastard Executioner features series regulars Lee Jones, Stephen Moyer, Katey Sagal, Flora Spencer-Longhurst, Kurt Sutter, Sam Spruell, Darren Evans, Danny Sapani, Timothy V. Murphy, Sarah White, Sarah Sweeney, Elen Rhys, Ethan Griffiths and guest star Matthew Rhys.
The Bastard Executioner was created by Kurt Sutter, who will serve as Executive Producer along with award-winning producers Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo and Paris Barclay. Sutter wrote the script for the pilot of The Bastard Executioner, which was directed by Barclay. The project is being produced by Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions.
Sutter was the Creator/Showrunner of Sons of Anarchy, which concluded its seven-season run on FX in December with the most-watched season in its entire run in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49 (11.7 million average total viewers, and 7.5 million Adults 18-49).
The Prequel To GAME OF THRONES!! $21.78 Hardback!! $11.99 Kindle!!
