Narcos creator’s new crime drama show about infamous Irish gang gets first look

The series stars an Oscar-winner in the lead role.

Named after the New York City-based gang, the eight-episode MGM+ show will be set in the early 1980s, "when the construction of the Jacob Javitz Convention Center on the Westies’ home turf in Hell’s Kitchen promises a financial windfall".

The plot synopsis adds: "Despite being outnumbered fifty-to-one by the Five Families of the Italian Mafia, the Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente. 

"But internal conflict between the brash younger generation and the old-school leadership threatens to set a match to this powder keg, which will sweep the Westies into the FBI’s ever-deepening investigation into the Italian mafia."

Oscar-winner J. K. Simmons in The Westies

The Westies cast includes Oscar-winner J. K. Simmons (Whiplash), Titus Welliver (Bosch) and Ireland's own Sarah Bolger (In America, Mayans M.C.).

JOE caught up with Bolger on the IFTA red carpet earlier this year, where we asked her about what people can expect from the upcoming crime drama.

She told us: "I think that show may be one of the coolest things I've ever been part of.

"Chris Brancato, who's our showrunner and creator, and Michael Panes, our other writer, they did such an impeccable job with creating this 1980s New York.

"Bridget is the character I play. I don't think I've ever played such a badass before, and a fierce Irish woman.

"I cannot tell you how proud I am of not only the work but the entirety of the project."

Watch a clip of Sarah Bolger speaking to JOE about The Westies below:

Bolger was also full of praise for Brancato, adding: "He's incredible. Chris Brancato has a brilliant mind.

"He's so creative, he's so thoughtful, and my God, he's so kind because he always picks up the phone when I call him with stupid questions," she said, laughing.

The Westies will be released in the US and the UK on 12 July through the streaming service MGM+.

As the streaming service is currently unavailable in Ireland, it is unclear when and where Irish viewers will be able to watch the show.

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