With the most powerful clients in Europe, The Donovans sees family fortunes and reputations on the line, strange alliances unfolding and betrayal around every corner; and while the family may be London's most elite fixers today, the nature of their business means there's no guarantee of what tomorrow holds.
Guy Ritchie (photo, right) has been tapped for the series as director and executive producer. Ronan Bennett (pictured, far right), the creator of Top Boy, will write all ten episodes of the series.
The Donovans is an extension of the Ray Donovan franchise, from Showtime/MTV Studios and 101 Studios. The series follows two generations of gangsters, the companies they run, the complex relationships they weave and the man they call on to solve their problem.
The Donovans will debut later this year on Paramount+ for subscribers to Paramount+ with Showtime.
The series is produced by Ritchie, Bennett, David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin and Ivan Atkinson.
“Guy Ritchie and Ronan Bennett are the ideal dream-team to create a new global hit franchise with The Donovans,” said Chris McCarthy, President of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios. “Guy’s riveting and stylish directorial approach combined with Ronan’s captivating and brutally authentic writing will transfix audiences into a wild and twisted world full of new adventures.”
“We’re elated to partner with Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios to reimagine the Ray Donovan legacy together. Having Guy and Ronan sign on to join us on this incredible journey has been a true blessing,” said David C. Glasser, CEO of 101 Studios. “We could not be more thrilled to take this huge hit and create a new and exciting show for audiences all over the world.”
Paramount CEO Bob Bakish hinted at more Ray Donovan offshoots last spring, on the heels of Showtime’s announcement of multiple Dexter and Billions spinoffs in the works.
“We’re leaning into our Showtime franchises,” he said during the 2023 Morgan Stanley conference. “You could think of the slate as smaller, which will be less expensive, but also really giving the people what they want, which is more Showtime, maybe more Dexter, maybe more Ray Donovan, and really leaning into that.”
Showtime has revived Ray Donovan once before, bringing back the series to give it a proper ending with a movie after abruptly canceling it in 2020.
Ritchie recently created and directed The Gentlemen for Netflix, an eight-part drama series inspired by his 2019 Miramax film, premiering on Thursday, March 7. He previously directed the Sherlock Holmes franchise starring Robert Downey Jr. starring and Disney's Aladdin, both of which grossed more than $1B worldwide. He also wrote and directed The Covenant starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim.
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