Fans of Showtime's hit series Ray Donovan were excited when a spinoff was announced a few years back! Liev Schreiber starred as Ray Donovan, a fixer who solves problems for the rich and famous in Los Angeles. The series was canceled after season 7 but a movie did bring some closure!
The Donovans- A Spinoff?
A spin-off was in the works called The Donovans and it was going to be huge, not only because it expanded on the Donovan family’s story but also because of the big names involved.
- It would take the story across the Atlantic, specifically to London!
- Guy Ritchie, famous for directing Snatch, was attached as a director!
However, things didn’t go exactly as planned and The Donovans was eventually Canceled and got reworked into something completely new.
The Donovans Cancellation
While we are all surprised. A project is not getting canceled so much as redesigned! This happened in early 2024, news started trickling out that there would be another season of Ray Donovan in the form of The Donovans!
Sadly, in October 2024, it was announced that things were changing!
- The show was going to be a standalone series, separate from the Ray Donovan universe!
- It’s been renamed to The Association.
- Guy Ritchie remains attached to this project, though details aren't really revealed.
Who Was Behind The Donovans
Before The Donovans transformation! There was a fantastic team! The biggest name was Guy Ritchie, which had people truly excited, as Ritchie brings this intensity that's synonymous with a action style to his work!
- He's the master of iconic movies such as Snatch!
- And the 2009 version of Sherlock Holmes
What was exciting? It appeared to have matched with the feel of the Ray Donovan series and even added to this with more dynamic and action-packed thrills!
But there was another team member involved too, who gave another dimension!
- Ronan Bennett a novelist, is very talented.
- He has done amazing writing with films such as "Public Enemies ( 2009) and the series called "Top Boy." He worked on creating a gritty, intense edge and paired this up with Ritchie's action! The goal was to bring something new and exciting for audiences!
What Was The Story
Even though details weren’t plentiful, we had an inkling of the narrative!
It's a story like that of Ray Donovan which would follow a fixer. They would do what it takes to make things go away, helping clients solve problems but only in London! It's a shift away from Los Angeles making a lot of things interesting.
What is different from this new approach to Crime Drama is that we had never been able to fully experience the world outside of the US! The Donovans was designed to really push audiences into exploring new perspectives!
However, there are also details about how "The Donovans" has shifted and transformed into "The Association", there may be some actors who made previous appearances who might have another shot.
- Liev Schreiber won't appear!
This looks exciting as many well known actors may show up!
- Tom Hardy
- Helen Mirren
- Pierce Brosnan
The plot has changed to create something totally unique and a series designed to create new mysteries and challenges, putting everyone on edge!
Even without Liev Schreiber this might be one of those times that Paramount+ does something exciting that surprises those who are long-term fans! There are even big surprises planned!
