Kurt Sutter is busy with his latest series, The Bastard Executioner, but he’s still finding time to pursue a Sons of Anarchy spin-off. According to Entertainment Weekly, the SoA creator is in the early stages of developing a new motorcycle club-focused show for FX.
There’s been talk of a Sons of Anarchy spin-off since even before the series went off the air in 2014 after a seven-season run. In 2013, the idea of a prequel set in the ’60s was bounced around, People reported at the time. Now, however, plans for the spin-off may be moving in a different direction. Sutter is reportedly working with a storyline that centers on a familiar gang, the Mayan Motorcycle Club.
Updated 9/11/2015: We now know that the upcoming Sons of Anarchy spin-off won’t be a prequel, Better Call Saul-style, but rather a modern story that follows the lives – and er, doings – of the Mayans. And, according to Deadline, there might be a few familiar faces that will make their return to the fictional club, along with some clever crossovers to satisfy Sons of Anarchy fans.
But Sutter tells Deadline he “wouldn’t want to set it too close to the world we already know, and step on that.” Expect more of a focus on the Spanish culture in this one. Also similar to AMC’s Better Call Saul, Sutter says he will have this show “exist on its own,” apart from Sons of Anarchy. “If it doesn’t work,” he adds, “I don’t feel like I shit on what I’ve already created.”
Sutter plans to pen the pilot during a hiatus from The Bastard Executioner. It’s also worth noting that a prequel isn’t off the table: Sutter expressed his desire to write one in the future as well.
As the Sons of Anarchy club’s sometimes rival, sometimes ally, the Mayans appeared throughout the series. The Oakland-based group’s members were largely Mexican-American and referred to themselves as “Los Asesinos de Dios,” the Assasins of God. (Series title, perhaps?) Given their history of running heroin factories, warring with other gangs, and their involvement with prostitution, the group’s activities could definitely provide enough material to sustain a crime drama series.
Given how early the show is in the development process, it makes sense that many details are being kept under wraps. In the meantime, we do know that the spin-off is currently in need of a showrunner, as Sutter has his hands full with The Bastard Executioner, which is set to premiere on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
Along with writing, Sutter will executive produce The Sons of Anarchy spin-off. Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions, both of which worked on the original series, will produce.
