JK Simmons to lead MGM+ 'The Westies', production scheduled for July in Toronto

JK Simmons has been announced to star in showrunner Chris Brancato's crime drama The Westies which starts production in July, doubling Toronto, Canada for New York City, 

Brancato co-created the series with Michael Panes under his overall television deal with MGM+ and will also executive produce and serve as showrunner.

The Westies follows New York City’s Irish gang of the same name and is set in in the 1980s during the construction of the Jacob Javitz Convention Center in Hell’s Kitchen.

The show follows The Westies' clash with the Italian Mafia, and the internal conflict between the gang's younger generation and the old-school leadership. 

His previous series with MGM+ include Godfather of Harlem, starring Forest Whitaker and Hotel Cocaine.