For a lot of crime-TV fans, Titus Welliver has become shorthand for a very specific kind of show: tough, weathered, adult, and just grimy enough to feel lived in. That is a big part of why anything he does after Bosch is going to invite instant comparisons, especially if it involves cops, gangsters, and morally compromised cities. So yes, The Westies sounds very much like one of those.

MGM+ has now set July 12, 2026 as the official premiere date for The Westies, a new period crime drama that brings Welliver back into the world of hard-edged law enforcement and organized crime. Created by Chris Brancato and Michael Panes, The Westies is set in early 1980s New York and centers on the infamous Irish-American gang of the title.

The cast of The Westies includes J.K. Simmons as Eamon Sweeney, Welliver as Glenn Keenan, Jessica Frances Dukes as Birdie Polk, Tom Brittney as James “Jimmy” Roarke, Stanley Morgan as Mickey Flanagan, Sarah Bolger as Bridget Walsh, Allen Leech as Brendan Cahill, Hamish Allan-Headley as John Gotti, Vincent Walsh as Eddie Breen, and Hilary McCormack as Erin Malone.

What Is ‘The Westies’ About?

​​​Set in 1981, The Westies follows the Irish gang that ruled Hell’s Kitchen during the construction of the Jacob Javits Center. The group’s control over the docks puts them in direct conflict with the much larger Gambino crime family, setting the stage for a volatile alliance.

“What it really is, is a story about the Westies,” Welliver said. “In 1981, there was the building of the Javits Center. And of course, the Irish — the Westies — controlled the docks and they controlled the west side. But the Gambino family, of course, had their own hold on the union. So there had to be a kind of meeting of the minds there, despite the fact that the Westies were outnumbered by the Gambinos 100 to one. They were formidable and they were tough. And of course, the Gambinos used them for hits and things like that, so sort of this odd marriage.”

While Bosch was all about justice, doing the right thing, and getting results no matter what, The Westies is about the darker side of the law. Welliver stars as Glenn Keenan, an NYPD beat cop who’s been swallowed by corruption.

“[Keenan’s] a beat cop. He still walks the streets, but he’s corrupt. His moral compass has been completely compromised,” Welliver told Collider last year. “He’s a very, very complex and deeply nuanced character.” J.K. Simmons plays Eamon Sweeney, the brutal leader of the Westies, and the two are set for a collision course that blurs the line between law and loyalty.

Unlike Bosch’s modern Los Angeles, The Westies recreates a grittier New York that barely exists anymore. “Between moving around and what you can do with CG stuff now, it’ll ultimately be really seamless, because Hell’s Kitchen bears no resemblance to what it did,” Welliver noted.

“They were showing me these CG things of Times Square and the area and everything during that time period. And I was just kind of stunned by what they can do now. We have, like, a really great New York City street set that they have built, a practical set… And they recreated impeccably this Hell’s Kitchen pub called the 596.”

The Westies will release on July 12 on MGM+.

via Collider