Yahoo News Gillian Anderson Joins Lena Headey in Netflix Western Series ‘The Abandons’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Gillian Anderson has signed on to star in Kurt Sutter’s upcoming Netflix Western series “The Abandons,” Variety has learned exclusively.
Anderson joins previously announced star Lena Headey in the show, which was first picked up to series at the streamer in October 2022. According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, Anderson’s deal was in the works prior to the beginning of the writers’ strike but only recently closed.
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The official series description states: “As a group of diverse, outlier families pursue their Manifest Destiny in 1850s Oregon, a corrupt force of wealth and power, coveting their land, tries to force them out. These abandoned souls, the kind of lost souls living on the fringe of society, unite their tribes to form a family and fight back. In this bloody process, “justice” is stretched beyond the boundaries of the law.”
Anderson will play Constance, described as “the matriarch of the wealthy Van Ness family who inherited her husband’s mining fortune, then doubled it. Despite the town’s inherent bias against women, her money, charm, and ruthlessness created a network of political allies. For her, power, wealth, and lineage trumps all.”
This marks the latest series for Anderson at Netflix. She currently stars in the Netflix series “Sex Education,” the fourth season of which is due to be released this fall. She previously starred in Season 4 of “The Crown,” winning an Emmy, SAG Award, and Golden Globe for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher. Anderson is best known for playing Dana Scully in the highly-popular Fox series “The X-Files” as well as in two “X-Files” films. Her other credits include shows like “The Fall” and films like “The House of Mirth,” “The Mighty Celt, and “The Last King of Scotland.” Anderson signed a first-look television deal with Netflix in 2022.
She is repped by UTA in the U.S. and Independent Talent Group in the U.K.
Netflix has given “The Abandons” a 10-episode order. Kurt Sutter created the show and will serve as showrunner and executive producer under his SutterInk production banner. Emmy Grinwis will also executive produce. Stephen Surjik will serve as director and executive producer, while Otto Bathurst will direct the first episode and executive produce.
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