Image via MGM+'Narcos' creator Chris Brancato's latest TV endeavor premieres on July 12.
Published Jul 10, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT
Isabella Soares is a Senior Writer for Collider, as well as a CherryPicks-approved critic.
Born in Brazil, previously based in Canada, and now residing in the UK, she is passionate about stories that revolve around culture, womanhood, and coming-of-age dynamics.
In her spare time, she enjoys watching nostalgic shows like ‘One Tree Hill’ and hosts her own podcast called Coming-of-Screen. In it, she interviews actors, directors, and creatives about coming-of-age/multigenerational stories in media.
Narcos creator Chris Brancato is no stranger to mafia-driven storytelling, but his latest TV endeavor might be his most ambitious yet. The Westies, set to premiere on July 12, follows the titular Irish-American gang in '80s New York and their growing alliance with the Five Families of the Italian Mafia during the construction of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The Westies were the disorganized foil to the Gambino crime family, who were known for drug trafficking and extortion.
The MGM+ series also explores the generational divide between Eamon Sweeney (J.K. Simmons), the fictionalized version of Irish-American mobster Mickey Spillane, who controlled Hell's Kitchen for an extended period, and his protégé Jimmy Rourke (Tom Brittney), who represents the gang's younger generation. With Titus Welliver rounding out the cast and a premise rooted in tension, corruption, and deception, this crime drama is the Peaky Blinders replacement you'll want to tune in for, and Collider had a front-row seat for the making of the series.
'The Westies' Wasn't Filmed in New York, Despite Being Set There
While celebrities in the city's downtown core prepared to walk the red carpet at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, Toronto's Cinespace Studios lot transformed into a replica of the series' gritty New York ambiance. In a set visit predominantly led by Brancato, Collider had the opportunity to tour The Westies' own seedy sin strip, with life-sized adult entertainment venues, a Devil's Perk coffee shop, and a Westside boxing gym, all coated in graffiti and rusty signs.
According to Brancato, building the sets in Toronto proved to be more cost-effective than shooting on location, and thanks to a combination of production design and visual effects, viewers likely won't be able to tell the difference. "We're one of the first shows to be experimenting with AI in terms of using it to create the look of the period," the series co-creator added. Most of the series was shot on the Cinespace Studios lot, particularly in the New York City street built from the ground up, with only a few scenes filmed at other offbeat Toronto locations.
As we toured the lot, the Godfather of Harlem creator explained that at the heart of this mobster drama is a "father-son" relationship that viewers will be drawn to. With Eamon representing the old guard of the Westies and Jimmy the new, their approach to the gang is bound to clash. "We all realize the truth about our parents at some point or another, and that's kind of what we're getting at here," Brancato says. Meanwhile, Simmons' character is trying to strengthen his ties with the Gambino crime family, led by characters based on real-life figures Paul Castellano (Ron Lee) and John Gotti (Hamish Allen-Headley). At the beginning of the series, Castellano is in charge and often resorts to using the Westies when he doesn’t want to do his own dirty work. As the ties between both criminal groups become more complex, audiences should find more and more reasons to root for the Irish-American gang.
Brancato was personally interested in making The Westies because of the gang's wild reputation and their chaotically disorganized approach to crime. He was originally hoping to include the gang in a season of Godfather of Harlem, but MGM+ head Michael Wright believed there was potential to make an entire series about the Westies instead. Although Brancato read a few books and articles for reference, he did admit to taking some creative liberties while crafting the series alongside his frequent writing partner, Michael Panes. The duo also preferred to ask for assistance from second-hand sources (including conversations with line producer Raymond Quinlan, who knew some of the Westies and was responsible for recreating the ‘80s New York ambiance in Toronto) as opposed to the real-life figures the characters are loosely based on, so the show could have room for artistic license.
J.K. Simmons Was the Only Choice To Play 'The Westies' Main Mobster
Image via MGM+One detail that viewers might overlook while watching the MGM+ original is that Brancato and Panes wrote the entire series by themselves. Although it's typical for there to be a writers’ room for a production of this scale, Brancato shared that the decision not to have one when making Season 1 was intentional. With a limited budget and a clear idea of the story they wanted to tell, the duo stuck together while developing all eight episodes. “It was very difficult, but we were very close, obviously, to the characters and to the situations that were presented, because we were writing them day by day. It helped us keep track of what was happening from one episode to the next,” Brancato explained.
If renewed for more seasons, The Westies aims to follow the characters between 1980 and 1986, which marks a great period in West-East history. The gang reached a breaking point in 1986, when it largely disbanded. At the time of our set visit, Brancato shared that they were prepping the final two episodes while shooting Episodes 5 and 6. Typically, the series' co-creator revealed, two episodes are shot at a time, before he hinted at the genres that are predominantly featured on The Westies' soundtrack. "The music is this great blend of Irish that gets you psyched up for what the show is and then also songs you remember from the period that will put you right back into 1980s New York." Brittney later told us that the show's music was a catalyst for prepping for fight sequences, mentioning that bands like Mötley Crüe and Blondie were part of the rotation.
When it came down to casting one of The Westies' two leads, Brancato knew who he had in mind from the start. "J.K. was the first person we met. So we had one meeting with him, and then we had the laborious casting process of not talking to anybody else." With Simmons demonstrating interest in the part, the decision was finalized. What attracted Simmons to playing Eamon wasn't the opportunity to play a real-life mobster, but rather the chance to bring to life a fictionalized version. "I'm playing the fictionalized version that Chris and Michael put on the page and that we will continue to evolve," the actor said. "Hopefully, we continue to evolve [him] for several more seasons."
Titus Welliver's Beat Cop in 'The Westies' Is a Far Cry From Harry Bosch
Image via MGM+While on set, Collider got to watch a few takes of a scene where Simmons's Eamon confronts Glenn Keenan, played by Welliver, in a dimly lit office. Seated behind a desk with a displeased expression, Eamon reminds the beat cop that he has eyes and ears in every corner. He questions where Glenn's loyalty lies, and the latter admits to being concerned about getting his cover blown. As one would imagine, the character's reluctance is met with not just a warning, but a fist to the face.
The argument symbolizes the internal conflict that Glenn is facing as a cop who is unsure if he wants to abide by the law or side with the outlaws. His longstanding history with Eamon and his son’s growing involvement with the Westies make the whole situation far more complicated. "When we open the show, I'm the boss. He's on the payroll. You know, he pretty much does what I say," Simmons said. Yet, as the series progresses, Glenn's relationship with Eamon shifts, and he is no longer led by blind faith. “It's his desire to re-form a relationship with his son that puts him directly in the crosshairs of Eamon Sweeney, who wants [Glenn’s] son to be part of the Westies,” Brancato explained.
Welliver's collaboration with Brancato and Panes marks a homecoming of sorts. After all, their friendship has been a constant for over 30 years. Before joining The Westies, the actor shared that he had a personal connection to the series' time period and the titular gang: "I had a roommate whose father was a Westie." He was also thrilled to be part of a story that hadn't yet been told on a major scale. After wanting to work with Brancato in Godfather of Harlem — but unable to find the time, given Bosch's demanding filming schedule — the opportunity to star in the new MGM+ production came at the right moment. The character and the brilliant writing were also pull factors to consider. "If you're going to do 10 years on a show and be fulfilled, you know, you look at the material. It was never even a consideration of anything other than please, please, please, when and where," he said. To that, Brancato jokingly remarked: "For us, it was a consideration of how to pay his enormous fees."
If you are instinctively drawing parallels between Glenn Keenan and Harry Bosch, Welliver says that the two couldn't be more different. Deeply damaged, morally conflicted, and dark, Glenn had a lot of layers for Welliver to dissect. "This character is so rich, so nuanced. That, as an actor, is gold, because these guys give me the gift of this incredible dialogue and allow me to fly and to soar." Between the Westies furthering relations with the Gambino family and Glenn getting pulled into an investigative task force by FBI agent Birdie Polk (Jessica Frances Dukes), tensions are bound to rise from that office altercation onward.
Tom Brittney Felt Like a "Teenager" Sharing Scenes With the Legendary J.K. Simmons
Image via MGM+On the topic of fractured relationships, Eamon and Jimmy's is certainly complex. According to Panes, Simmons and Brittney deliver compelling performances as the intergenerational duo, with Jimmy himself described as a three-dimensional thug with a moral compass. During Collider's visit to The Westies set, we had the opportunity to speak with Brittney inside a built-in bar —or, in this case, a seemingly traditional Irish pub. The set was marked by old-fashioned memorabilia and wooden decor, with a pool table at the center. Even though the Guinness the actors sip on camera is fake, audiences could easily be led to believe that this is a real place where men in leather jackets drink and fight (some of the action sequences involved very real punches, we learned).
While seated at the bar, Brittney shared what it meant for him to star opposite a seasoned actor like Simmons. "He's one of my favorite actors. I remember being 10 years old when Spider-Man came out, and that was my favorite Spider-Man as well." There's also a brief acknowledgment paid to Whiplash, which earned Simmons an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. "Jimmy has been in [Eamon's] life since he was a child. He stepped into whatever father vacuum that Jimmy had, and became this leader to him. But we start to see that he's losing that grip slightly, and so it's just great to play those things with J.K. He naturally makes me feel like a teenager." The younger generation of the Westies is informed by the post-hippie movement; Brittney noted that the series displays a "heightened version of the changing of the guard."
Is Chris Brancato MGM+'s Taylor Sheridan of Crime Dramas?
Aside from Simmons, Brittney also shares several scenes with The Spiderwick Chronicles alum Sarah Bolger, who plays Jimmy's ex-IRA girlfriend Bridget Walsh. Bolger was on set during our visit, and even though we didn't get the chance to interview her then, she seemed thrilled to be playing a character with such a complex backstory. Brittney noted that Bridget isn't like any mob wife we've grown accustomed to seeing within the crime genre, and her shady past puts her and Jimmy on a level playing field. "They are two people with different pasts, but who hold a mirror up to each other, and I've never seen that dynamic in this kind of show before."
With the series finally set to premiere this week as both cast and crew express their hopes to return for more, The Westies will fill the void for those who enjoy crime dramas featuring morally grey characters. Between Jimmy as a conflicted hero of sorts, Eamon as a ruthless mobster, and Glenn as a cop second-guessing his allegiances, there's lots to look forward to from Brancato and Panes' latest joint effort. When asked if he plans on becoming the Taylor Sheridan of MGM+ crime shows, however, Brancato only laughed. "I've had a wonderful experience at MGM+ doing these types of shows — Hotel Cocaine, Godfather of Harlem, and now The Westies. It does seem like the crime genre is what I like to watch, and certainly what I like to produce."
The Westies premieres July 12 on MGM+
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