After years in the works, and a production shutdown back in 2020 after a writing backlog from the series' original showrunner and head writer Eric Warren Singer, we finally have the first look at the Charlie Hunnam-led Shantaram. The series, which started shooting back in 2019, is an adaptation of Gregory David Roberts's best-selling novel and stars Hunnam as the fugitive Lin Ford on the lam in 1980s Bombay. The first image from the series shows the Sons of Anarchy star back on a motorcycle as he tries to outrun the law. Along with the new image, Apple TV+ announced the show will premiere on Friday, October 14.
Interest in bringing Shantaram to screens was incredibly high considering how successful the 2003 novel was internationally. Originally planned as a movie, Anonymous Content and Paramount Television snatched the rights to the novel with an eye on making a television series which Apple then picked up. Described as "a hopeful cinematic love story coupled with a thrilling epic adventure," the series follows the Australian bank robber Lin Ford as he looks to get lost in the sprawling, vibrant city of Bombay and find redemption for his wrongs. It's not easy to avoid the law, however, and it's even harder being on his own in an unfamiliar place. During his journey, he meets and falls for a mysterious woman named Karla, forcing him to choose between a life of freedom or love and the complexities that come with trying to settle down.
The first shot should be a familiar one for Sons of Anarchy fans, though Hunnam isn't donning his usual jacket and helmet. Rather, he's wearing a casual button-down shirt and jeans as he rides through town. There's not much to glean from the shot, but he seems to be in a more run-down area with dirt pathways and houses crumbling in the background. He should have plenty of interesting sights to ride through given the varied, idyllic nature of Bombay and the wider country of India.
Shantaram boasts a diverse cast including Shubham Saraf, Elektra Kilbey, Fayssal Bazzi, Luke Pasqualino, Antonia Desplat, Alyy Khan, Sujaya Dasgupta, Vincent Perez, David Field, Alexander Siddig, Gabrielle Scharnitzky, Elham Ehsas, Rachel Kamath, Matthew Joseph, and Shiv Palekar. Andrea Barron, Nicole Clemens, Steve Golin, Justin Kurzel, and Steve Lightfoot co-created the series with Singer who stepped back from showrunning duties in favor of Lightfoot, who also finished writing the series. Singer still executive produces alongside his fellow series creators and director Bharat Nalluri.
In the intervening time since Shantaram started filming, Hunnam has found no shortage of work, appearing in the indie film Last Looks opposite Morena Baccarin and boarding the star-studded cast of Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon. He's been involved with the Apple TV+ for over three years now, a process that he admitted in an interview with Collider in November 2020 has been difficult due to having to shift in and out of the mindset of Lin as production was interrupted.
Shantaram will finally premiere on October 14 with three new episodes followed by one new episode every Friday until December 16.