Downton Abbey star Allen Leech has joined the cast of MGM+'s upcoming crime drama series, The Westies.
The series is set in 1980s New York and follows the titular real-life Irish-American crime gang, who once ruled the Hell's Kitchen neighbourhood of Manhattan.
The Irish actor joins Hamish Allan-Headly (Daredevil: Born Again), Vincent Walsh (The Fall) and Hilary McCormack (Happy Face) as series regulars.
As a longtime Downton Abbey fan, I'm excited to see Allen take on a very different role from the kind-hearted and sensitive Tom Branson, who he played in the popular period drama franchise. Plus, crime drama is a hugely popular genre right now, and this true-story inspired tale sounds like a gripping watch.
Keep reading for all we know about the show so far.
Who will the new cast members play in the show?
Allen will play Brendan Cahill, a "ruthless IRA cell leader with deep political ambitions that cause him to see every human relationship as either leverage or liability," according to Variety.
Meanwhile, Hamish will portray a rising capo of the Gambino crime family, John Gotti, Vincent plays Eddie Breen, a streetwise Westie, and Hilary plays street hustler Eric Malone.
Who else stars in the series?
Previously announced cast members include Whiplash actor J.K. Simmons, who plays Eamon Sweeney and Grantchester's Tom Brittney as the fiercely loyal James 'Jimmy' Roarke, who leads the younger generation of Westies.
Other cast members include Titus Welliver, Jessica Frances Dukes, Stanley Morgan and Sarah Bolger.
What is The Westies about?
The Peaky Blinders-esque series, which comes from Narcos creator Chris Brancato, is 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 synopsis continues: "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."
When will The Westies be released?
Production on The Westies is currently underway, with the series set to premiere exclusively on MGM+ in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Colombia.
A release date has yet to be revealed.
Amazon MGM Studios Distribution will distribute The Westies in all other international markets.