Titus Welliver Rebounds From ‘Bosch’ and ‘Equalizer’ Cancellations With Brand New Crime Drama

Titus Welliver is leaving Los Angeles behind — and he’s not heading quietly. Deadline has revealed this evening that theBosch and Bosch: Legacy star has signed on to lead The Westies, a new period crime drama from MGM+ that pairs him opposite Oscar winner J.K. Simmons. Set in the chaotic, corrupt heart of 1980s New York, the eight-episode series begins production this July in Toronto.

The project marks a return to cop drama for Welliver, who spent over a decade defining the role of LAPD detective Harry Bosch across Bosch and its sequel Bosch: Legacy. With that series now wrapped, The Westies gives Welliver a brand-new badge and an entirely different city — but just as much inner conflict. The Emmy-nominated actor most recently led appeared in a backdoor pilot for a proposed Equalizer spinoff and stars in the Sundance-debuted indie film Ricky. Welliver will also appear as Harry Bosch in a recurring capacity on the upcoming Ballard, a spin-off starring Maggie Qas Detective Renee Ballard, premiering later this month on Prime Video.

What Is ‘The Westies’ About?

The Westies is co-created by Chris Brancato (Narcos, Godfather of Harlem) and Michael Panes, and is set against the construction of the Jacob Javitz Convention Center in Hell’s Kitchen. The show will follow the rise and fall of the titular Irish-American crime gang as they fight to maintain a delicate truce with the far more powerful Five Families of the Italian mafia. The Westies managed to carve out a slice of New York’s criminal pie through ruthless violence and backroom deals despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the bigger families, but when tensions mount between the gang’s younger foot soldiers and the hardened old guard, everything threatens to fall apart.

Welliver will star as Glenn Keenan, a perenially tormented NYPD officer with ties to the Westies crew. Born and raised in Hell’s Kitchen, Glenn now finds himself walking a tightrope between duty and loyalty — especially when it comes to his troubled son, who is drawn deeper into the gang’s violent orbit. Sources have claimed that the character will clash frequently with Simmons’ Eamon Sweeney, the Westies’ magnetic and charismatic leader, setting the stage for a season-long battle of wills between the two powerhouse performers.

Stay tuned to Collider for more news updates and casting announcements as The Westies takes shape. Bosch and Bosch: Legacy are available to stream now in their entirety on Prime Video.

Source: Deadline