Apple cancels Richard Gere's vigilante drama series 'Bastards' following disagreements over dark content and violent tone
Richard Gere was all set to star in a new series named 'Bastards' for Apple's upcoming streaming service, Apple TV+. However, the deal seems to be scrapped now. Originally intended to inaugurate the streaming service, the eight-episode project, based on an Israeli drama, has been ousted for its dark content and violent tone.
The vigilante drama was set to center around two elderly Vietnam veterans who are also best buddies. Their monotonous lives are turned upside down when a woman they both loved 50 years ago is run over by a car. As their regrets and secrets intertwine with resentment for the millennials, the duo head out on a shooting spree.
In a major revelation, The Hollywood Reporter reported that "Apple originally landed 'Bastards' in a competitive situation with multiple other outlets bidding for the package from WME, Keshet (who produced the Israeli series), Fox 21 and Howard Gordon's ('Homeland') Teakwood Lane banner."
It seems Apple did have high hopes for the series after it was triumphant in a high-stakes bidding war for the property but disagreements over the tenor and flavor of the show kept building and eventually, it was dropped.
'Homeland' fame's Howard Gordon was set to pen the series with former 'Law And Order: SVU' showrunner Warren Leight. The scripts for two episodes had been finalized and were heavily debated upon.
If sources are to be believed, Gordon favored the darker elements of the show's vigilante justice angle and Apple wanted the show to focus more on the friendship and bond between the two veterans. When the two parties could not come to a middle ground, it was scrapped out of the list under Apple's heads of worldwide video and chief content officers Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg. Meanwhile, Leight left the series shortly after the disagreements emerged.
It is unclear whether the show will be picked up by another network or even be fully created. The news comes as another big blow for the streamer after its first scripted comedy, an untitled series based on Curtis Sittenfeld's acclaimed short story collection 'You Think It, I'll Say It', was put on hold after star Kristen Wiig dropped out due to scheduling issues. Several other shows such as 'The Morning Show', 'Amazing Stories' and 'Foundation' are also stuck due to showrunner departures.
