Mayans MC pilot to undergo reshoots, cast changes for FX
For those as excited to see the Mayans MC pilot as we are, you’re unfortunately going to be waiting for a little bit longer.
Today, Deadline reported that the much-anticipated Sons of Anarchy pilot is going to be undergoing reshoots for its first episode, and that several characters from the original pilot are going to be recast. Norberto Barba is being brought in as the director for the pilot now, and will also serve as an executive producer.
Networks often do re-work pilots after the first one is shot in order to ensure that everything is precisely to their specifications before getting the series order out there; Mayans MC is far from the first show to get that. As a matter of fact, Sons of Anarchy underwent reshoots of its own after the first pilot was shot. Another notable series to do this? HBO’s Game of Thrones. (In the comedy realm, the #1 show in the genre, The Big Bang Theory, spent a significant amount of time redeveloping its second pilot before it was ordered to series.)
Kurt Sutter and Elgin James serve as executive producers on Mayans MC, and are two of the chief creative voices.
How high are expectations?
It’s pretty clear at this point that they are through the roof, and they ultimately have to be when you consider just what the show is coming off of. The original Sons of Anarchy is widely considered to be one of the greatest cable shows of all time in terms of epic scale, great characters, and memorable performances. It was criminally-underrated in terms of awards-show attention, and it has a loyal following. FX knows that, as does everyone involved.
The main character for Mayans MC is EZ Reyes, a prospect in the Mayans charter near the Untied States / Mexico border. This was a show about culture, complications, survival, and a whole lot more. JD Pardo of Revolution fame played the character in the first pilot, which also starred Battlestar Galactica alum Edward James Olmos. Filming took place in the Salton Sea region of California, which ended up spawning a rather lengthy article about this place and some of the things that make it so interesting. Hopefully, that is going to remain a part of the series, given that it has some interesting ghost-town character mixed with an edginess and some blistering temperatures.
Hopefully, there will be a Sons of Anarchy character or two who does turn up in the new series, given that many were still alive by the end of the finale.
As for what this means for a premiere date…
Let’s take things one at a time, okay? If FX orders the second pilot to series, may be could see the show on the air as early as next year. We are confident that it’ll come out someday, but it’s better to exercise some patience rather than rushing anything out. In Sutter we trust!
For now, are you planning to watch Mayans MC whenever it ends up coming on the air? Be sure to share now in the attached comments!