What Happened to the ‘Ray Donovan’ Spinoff? It’s Now ‘MobLand’

Two rival London crime families battle for worldwide dominance while a devoted fixer safeguards one family’s interests across the globe. That’s the intrigue of the new limited series MobLand, produced by Guy Ritchie and premiering Sunday, March 30, on Paramount+ and Monday, March 31, at 8/7c on Showtime. Before MobLand became MobLand — that is, before it had Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan, and Helen Mirren in the starring roles — the limited series was intended to be a Ray Donovan spinoff.

The first version of MobLand was actually The Donovans, an origin story for Liev Schreiber‘s iconic character in the seven-season Showtime drama. The Donovans was announced in February 2024 as a Paramount+ original series. The series description for the 10-episode season at the time read, “With the most powerful clients in Europe, The Donovans will see family fortunes and reputations at risk. Odd alliances unfold, and betrayal around every corner; and while the family might be London’s most elite fixers today, the nature of their business means there is no guarantee what’s in store tomorrow.”

Ritchie wasn’t involved in the original Ray Donovan, but he was attached to direct and executive produce The Donovans. In October 2024, it was announced that the spinoff idea was scrapped, and what once was The Donovans was now MobLand, a standalone series with no narrative connection to Ray Donovan, per Variety. Ritchie stayed on the creative team for the new series, as did creator Ronan Bennett, who writes the series and executive produces.

The exact reason why it became a standalone series instead of a Ray Donovan spinoff has not been revealed, but anyone who likes the gangster drama of the Schreiber series will no doubt find entertainment in MobLand.

Here’s the full series description: “MobLand is about the Harrigans and Stevensons, two warring London crime families who clash in a kill-or-be-killed battle that threatens to topple empires and ruin lives. Caught in the crossfire is Harry Da Souza (Hardy), the street-smart ‘fixer’ as dangerous as he is handsome, who knows too well where loyalties lie when opposing forces collide. As kingdom goes up against kingdom, lines will be crossed — and the only saving grace is a bet-your-life guarantee: family above everything.”

Mirren and Conrad play Maeve and Conrad Harrigan, with House of the Dragon‘s Paddy Considine playing Conrad’s son, Kevin. Downton Abbey’s Joanne Froggatt plays Harry’s wife, Jan Da Souza. Additional stars are Lara Pulver, Anson Boon, Mandeep Dhillon, Jasmine Jobson, Geoff Bell, Daniel Betts, Lisa Dwan, and Emily Barber.

MobLand, Series Premiere Sunday, March 30, Paramount+, Monday, March 31, 8/7c, Showtime