For any fans of dramatized gangsters and crime thrillers,Paramount+just premiered the new limited series,MobLand, on its platform this past Sunday. While another addition to the increasingly saturated genre may put off some viewers, acclaimed director and producer Guy Ritchie (The Gentlemen) is attached to the project, as well as a star-studded cast including Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan, and Helen Mirren. However, like a lot of gangster media that recycles old material, the original idea behind it was actually a continuation of the belovedRay Donovanfranchise.
MobLandfollows the rivalry between two London-based mob families as they fight for global dominance. Meanwhile, a “fixer” named Harry Da Souza (Tom Hardy), akin toRay Donovan’stitular lead (Liev Schreiber), utilizes calmness in the face of violence and illegal dealings, making him a valuable asset to The Harrigan’s corrupt interests. Harry and Ray’s nearly identical roles heavily reflect the showrunners' initial attempt to create aRay Donovanprequel spin-off calledThe Donovans. So, what was the original offshoot supposed to be about, and how did it turn intoMobLandinstead?
The Almost ‘Ray Donovan’ Prequel
DespiteRay Donovan’spopularity, fans were shocked when it was suddenly canceled after Season 7’s release, leaving them without a satisfying ending. However, following overwhelming outcry, public demand convinced its team to develop and releaseRay Donovan: The Moviein 2022, providing a full-circle finale that reasonably concluded the decade-long character arc. Considering the series obviously had a dedicated fanbase, it became clear to Showtime executives that it was a story worth expanding on. As a result, theRay Donovanfranchise was scheduled to make a comeback in a new spin-off series calledThe Donovans(oh, what a novel idea).
Announced in Feb. 2024, the offshoot was set to be a prequel that explored the eponymous family’s lore and the origin behind Liev Schreiber’s fixer, as they work to maintain power over their London-based criminal enterprise. Guy Ritchie was always set to oversee the project, but by October of that same year, the story had been completely re-worked and renamedThe Associate(and thenMobLandby Feb. 2025).During development, showrunners decided to make the show into a standalone story, only usingRay Donovan’sframework following a crime family’s fixer, without any real ties to its original plot or characters.
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Why Didn’t ‘The Donovans’ Work Out?
WhileThe Donovansprequel was indirectly canceled with the news of itsMobLandreplacement, very little is known about the reason behind the decision. All fans have heard from its creative team is that the initial offshoot somehow morphed into a unique story during development.What exactly prompted the reworking is unclear.
However,with theoriginal fixer himself, Liev Schreiber, swearing off any kind of role reprisal following the concluding film, it may have something to do with writing around his leading character. While a lot of prequels typically recast main characters in younger roles with the original actors occasionally appearing in flashbacks, maybe the offshoot didn’t work without Schreiber making some kind of return. This roadblock could have easily led showrunners in a different narrative direction. Although, unless anyone associated with the new show confirms or denies this theory, it will remain just that.
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‘Ray Donovan’ Fans Will Still Love ‘MobLand’
For anyone looking to get into a new drama likeRay Donovan,MobLanddelivers a similar storyand underlying themes of family, questions of right and wrong, organized crime, and, of course, plenty of violence.The show centers on street-smart Harry’s ruthless work for the Irish patriarch Conrad Harrigan (Pierce Brosnan) and his fierce counterpart Meave Harrigan (Helen Mirren), while also diving into how their criminality complicates their closest relationships. After the Harrigan family’s son Eddie (Anson Boon) attacks an adversary and a rival mobster’s son goes missing in the chaos, escalating tensions between the two volatile households mark a brewing war that Harry must quench.
The series' plot and characters are completely original, butit follows a familiar structure that die-hard gangster fans know and love: an organized crime family that battles violent competition, internal drama, uncertain loyalties, and moral ambiguity to protect their power and their family, without getting caught or killed. Despite the formulaic concept,MobLandoffers magnetic performances, sharp writing, Guy Ritchie’s snappy film style, and gritty storytelling that brings audiences back to the genre again and again. Plus, asecond season has already been confirmed. So, the new show is not only worth getting into because of its content, but its already apparent longevity — a relief for anyone who’s been devastated by their share of one-and-done cancelations.
Episode one ofMobLandis available to stream now on Paramount+, and new episodes will air weekly on Sundays until June 10, 2025.
