Creator Reveals Titus Welliver’s New Crime Drama, ‘The Westies,’ Began as a Spinoff Idea For Another Popular Series
Titus Welliver is set for a busy run on television, with several new projects and returning roles lined up. One of his most talked-about upcoming appearances is in The Westies, a new MGM+ crime drama that explores the violent underworld of 1980s New York City. The series is scheduled to debut on July 12, according to information shared by MGM+ and reported by Deadline.
The show takes place in Hell’s Kitchen during a time of major change in the city. It follows an Irish-American gang known as the Westies, who operated during the 1960s through the 1980s. The story focuses on how the group tries to survive in a dangerous environment where crime families, money, and power constantly collide.
Welliver plays Glenn Keenan, a troubled NYPD officer who has deep personal ties to the Westies. The cast also includes J.K. Simmons as Eamon Sweeney, the group’s leader, along with Tom Brittney, Jessica Frances Dukes, and several other supporting actors.
According to creator Chris Brancato in an interview with Deadline, the idea for The Westies originally started in a very different place. The gang was first written as part of the world of Godfather of Harlem, another MGM+ crime series. The plan was for them to appear as opposing forces to Forest Whitaker’s character, Bumpy Johnson.
Brancato explained that during development discussions, MGM+ executive Michael Wright saw something bigger in the concept. Instead of just using the Westies as part of another story, Wright suggested they could carry their own series.
“I would do a whole show about the Westies,” Brancato recalled Wright saying during their conversations.
That idea changed the direction of the project completely. Brancato said the creative team began to see the Westies as a group with enough complexity and history to support a full series. He described them as a small but violent gang that managed to survive in a much larger criminal world dominated by the Italian mafia.
The show’s creator also spoke about the tone of the series. He said the Westies were not a traditional organized crime group. Instead, they were more chaotic and unpredictable, which made them both powerful and self-destructive. He compared their story to a kind of tragedy, where internal conflict and ambition constantly put them at risk.
The series will explore how the gang operates during a turbulent time in New York City history. The early 1980s setting includes economic pressure, rising drug activity, and major urban development projects that change neighborhoods like Hell’s Kitchen. These shifts create both opportunity and danger for the characters.
Alongside Welliver and Simmons, the cast includes actors playing both law enforcement and criminal figures, which adds to the tension between the FBI, the mafia, and the Westies themselves. The show also explores generational conflict within the gang, as younger members begin to challenge older leadership.
The Westies arrives as Godfather of Harlem wraps up its run after four seasons. The timing has led to interest in whether the new series could become MGM+’s next long-running crime drama.
Are you excited for 'The Westies'?
According to MGM+ promotional material and statements from the production team, the goal is to build a grounded and character-driven story that stands on its own while still sharing creative roots with Godfather of Harlem.
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