Kurt Sutter Expresses Frustration with Netflix’s Cancellation of ‘The Abandons’ After $150M Investment
In a recent social media post, Kurt Sutter expressed his disappointment over the cancellation of his series, **The Abandons**, lamenting that Netflix’s algorithm-driven decisions overshadowed creative visions. He accompanied his remarks with a poster-style announcement of the show’s cancellation, highlighting the predicament faced by creators when business priorities conflict with artistic intent.
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Sutter provided insights into his exit from the project and revealed a staggering budget estimate of $21.4 million per episode for the series, should the figure prove accurate.
“FYI: Shareholders hate it when they learn more than $150 million was wasted on a single show trying to fix unnecessary mistakes of leadership failures – a destructive trend for both Hollywood and Wall Street,” he noted.
Netflix has yet to comment on the situation.
According to Netflix’s semi-annual report covering July to December 2025, **The Abandons** garnered 19.8 million views within its first 28 days post-premiere on December 4. Sutter referenced this viewership data in his post, pointing out that the season finale, which he authored, concluded on a significant cliffhanger.
The series achieved a brief stint in Netflix’s Top 10 for English-language series, securing the No. 4 position during its first two weeks with 7.4 million and 7.6 million views, respectively. However, viewership fell sharply afterward, resulting in an additional 4.8 million views over the subsequent 17 days, leading to its removal from the Top 10.
Set in the Washington Territory around 1854, **The Abandons** centers on the matriarchs of two contrasting families, portrayed by Lena Headey and Mary Lynn Rajskub. Executive producers included Chris Keyser, Robert Askins, Stephen Surjik, Otto Bathurst, Emmy Grinwis, and Jon Paré.
