Watch: J.K. Simmons plays Irish gang member in 'The Westies'

June 17 (UPI) -- MGM+ is gearing up for the release of the new series The Westies.

The streaming service shared a trailer for the show Wednesday featuring J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man, The Closer) as Eamon Sweeney, a member of the Irish gang known as the Westies.

The Westies explores the 1980s conflicts between New York's Irish and Italian gangs, which came to a head with the construction of the Jacob Javits Convention Center on the Westies' home turf of Hell's Kitchen.

"Despite being outnumbered fifty-to-one by the Five Families of the Italian Mafia, the Westies' legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a détente. But internal conflict between the brash younger generation and the old-school leadership threatens to set a match to this powder keg, which will sweep the Westies into the FBI's ever-deepening investigation into the Italian mafia," an official synopsis reads.

Titus Welliver (Sons of Anarchy, Bosch: Legacy), Tom Brittney (Grantchester), Jessica Frances Dukes (Ozark), Sarah Bolger (Once Upon a Time, Mayans M.C.) and Allen Leech (Downton Abbey) also star.

The Westies hails from Chris Brancato (Narcos) and Michael Panes (Godfather of Harlem). The debut season will consist of eight episodes and have a two-episode premiere July 12 on MGM+.

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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 1:23 PM.