Sons of Anarchy fans were stunned earlier this year when news came that a sequel series was officially on the way at FX. Given how the original Sons of Anarchy wrapped up, though, the idea of a follow-up immediately drew questions, but when it became clear that the new show, titled Legends, wasn’t a proper sequel but a meta story where the cast would play themselves attending a fan convention, that stirred even more questions. Even more distinct about it is that original star, Charlie Hunnam, was at the center, not Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter.
Speaking in a new interview with Deadline, former Sons of Anarchy star Ron Perlman opened up about the upcoming new series where he’ll be playing himself alongside Katey Sagal, Mark Boone Junior, and more. Perlman said he was “blown away” by the concept when it came his way, as well as the reaction from the fandom when the announcement was made. “The only thing that’s been written so far is the pilot,” Perlman added. “Charlie is just assembling the writing room right now. When I get back, I’ll sit in and listen to things that are being bandied back and forth. But I’ve read a version of the pilot. I’m pretty sure it’ll evolve before we shoot in March in New Mexico.”
Sons of Anarchy’s Ron Perlman Opens Up About Legends Reunion Show
The initial reports about Legends revealed that the series will have the cast reunite as themselves at a fan convention, one set years after the original show’s conclusion (which was twelve years ago as of this writing). FX’s description of the show said that “the line between life and art blurs as the fractured brotherhood finds itself up against a real-world threat more dangerous than anything they ever faced in their show.” To that end, Perlman teased how similar and different the shows would be tonally. When asked if it was the same tone as Sons of Anarchy or its own thing, he said: “It’s both. It’s incredibly divergent initially, but it morphs into something that has the kind of outlaw danger aspect that Sons had.”
Perlman went on to note that his excitement for his Legends return was in part due to getting to work with FX boss John Landgraf once again, calling him, “the greatest executive I’ve ever worked for because he has the genius of an administrator, but the soul of an artist.”
Other Sons of Anarchy stars confirmed for the new series include Tommy Flanagan, Kim Coates, Theo Rossi, and Maggie Siff, with the likes of Taylor Sheridan and Kurt Sutter notably absent from the original announcement. To that end, it was surprising when Sutter, not known for genteel responses, showed support for the new series, writing: “Watch this motherf*cker, because I’ve taken a peek at the script that was perhaps just lying on my wife’s knitting table, and it’s really so well done. I think you’ll dig it. I love Charlie to death, and I think you will have mad love for this project as well.”